RIP Vladica Kovačević

Vladimir "Vladica" Kovačević, former striker of FK Partizan and the Yugoslav national team, member of the great "generation ’66" has passed away today in Belgrade. He was 76 years old.

Vladica Kovačević as the player of Partizan

(photo: seebiz.eu)

Vladica Kovačević last year at Partizan’s 70th anniversary

(photo: mondo.rs)

May he rest in peace :(

Mourning

Partizan’s former defender Milorad Milutinović passed away in his Switzerland home yesterday. He was 81 years old.
He debuted in the senior team at the age of 17. He played 194 matches wearing Partizan’s jersey and scored 9 goals. After he finished his professional career he worked as a coach in Switzerland.
Počivaj u miru, Legendo! Rest In Peace...

The Milutinović-brothers, all are former players of Partizan. On the left Bora, Milorad in the middle, and Miloš on the right

(photo: Facebook/Istorija ex yu fudbala)

Mourning

Blagoje Paunović has passed away today.

Former defender of Partizan and Yugoslav national team left us at the age of 68.
The time and place of his burial will be announced later.

Počivaj u miru, legendo!...

Banvitspor - KK Partizan 90:85 (Eurocup)

First of all, before starting this, raise your ass, stand in attention and salute to the hero of the match, Milenko Tepić.

(photo: kkpartizan.rs)

The match started with a 1-minute silence for the memory of Marko Ivković. Banvitspor remembered him with a banner.

In the first quarter both teams kept the pace. Tepić threw our first basket (2:2), then he leveled up to 3-pointers.
Like this:

Then again (12:13). Gagić and Murić also wanted to take part in the fun, they brought the team up to 16:17. Bogdanović also said hi (17:19). Turks quickly equalized and took back the lead, but Murić disagreed (21:21, then 21:23). In the last seconds of the quarter Turkish team led with 1 point, but Tepić successfully switched the counter to our side from free throw (24:25).

In the second quarter Turks kept the game more and more under their control, but thanks to Tepić we could gain back our advantage (31:32). Tepić had a fantastic performance tonight. He carried the team either under his arms or on his back, built up attacks, scored 3-pointers, he was the heart and soul of the team, throwing 21 points himself. Here he made a 7-point series (with two 3-pointers, 42:36). Yet Banvitspor started to raise the difference. 46:38 (Gagić scored from our side), 48:40 (Bogdanović had a 2-pointer free throw), the half time was 49:42.

In the third part of the game we made it from 51:42 to 53:48, with the great job of the Bogdanović-Milutinović pair.

What is more, at 55:48 Andrić scored two 3-pointers in a row (55:54). But then the home team made a 8:2 series (66:58, Milutinov scored from free throw in the meantime), and the difference got to be two-digit (69:58). Again Tepić came, now "only" with a 2-pointer, but the 11-point difference was reduced to one digit (69:60). At 69:62 Murić made a huge blocking, I hope there will be a video about it, it is worth to watch more than once. The end of the quarter was 69:65, Bogdanović adjusted the result in the last seconds.
Then came the last quarter, Murić and Tepić reduced the difference to 73:70, the latter one made it after a marvellous steal. Gagić added his part (73:72), Average Fan had cold sweat and put the defibrillator at hand.
Murić came, 75:74.
Bogdanović, too, 77:77.
Milutinov, 79:79.
Milutinov even threw us on the lead (79:81). But then he was fouled out and Banvit equalized (81:81). It was 83:81, Gagić equalized and after a short break came the extra time.
At 84:83 home team’s player Veremenko was fouled out. Tepić put us on the lead (84:85), after this Murić was also fouled out. The referees probably had this nursery rhyme in their head "this little piggy went to market..." Turks raised the difference. We couldn’t made it. That’s it. The end result was 90:85.

Banvitspor: Veyseloglu, Rowland (19), Gecim (1), Candan, Edge (4), Davis (14), Mejia (17), Veremenko (10), Simmons (5), Dragičević (20), Mutaf, Özer
KK Partizan: Tepić (21), Kouzeloglu, Murić (16), Marinković, Dallo, Milutinov (6), Gagić (10), Andrić (7), Milutinović (7), Glišić, Bezbradica, Bogdanović (18)

Mourning

Nenad Manojlović, former water polo player and coach of VK Partizan as well as manager of the Yugoslav national water polo team tragically died at the age of 57. He was on the road to Sofia to a seminar, when he died. Circumstances are yet to be clarified. His burial will be announced later.

(photo: hotsport.rs)

FK Partizan - Napredak 3:1 (Jelen SuperLiga, Round 13)

Brašanac and Pantić were watching it from the tribune

Both teams started hard, then in the 7th minute Ninković tested Napredak’s goalkeeper. A minute later Volkov headed a corner right into Popović’s hands. Another minute later (and we are still within the first 10 minutes) Drinčić kicked a 20-metre bomber to Napredak’s goal line, Popović caught it.
In the 16th minute Škuletić got a pass from the right side. He kicked - and shot right into the goalkeeper.
In the 18th minute fans on the southern tribune remembered 18-year-old Partizan fan Nemanja "Rambo" Antić, who died tragically. 18 torches were burning for his memory.

In the 21st minute Škuletić put himself into action again. The ball was stolen at the half-line from fumbling Napredak-players and Ninković gave a pass to Škuletić. He dribbled himself through the guest defenders and kicked an enormous shot - hitting the goalpost.

Match action: Nikola Ninković

In the 26th minute Drinčić made a 25-metre shot to the guests goal line. The goalkeeper saved, the ball dropped back to the penalty area. Lazović was running fast to catch it, but he couldn’t. A minute later Napredak made some uncomfortable moments in front of Partizan’s goal line, finally our defenders cleared the area.

In the 29th minute it could have been 1:0. Saša Ilić shot the ball into Napredak’s net, but the referee invalidated the goal saying it was offside.

But then came the real goal.

38th minute. Ninković got the ball on the left side and passed it to the middle with a powerful kick. Lazović raised from the mass (with a defender on his neck) and headed the ball into the net. 1:0

The last minutes still had some action left. First Drinčić ran up on the right with the ball and passed it to Škuletić in the middle. He shot it with a frenetic movement. The goalkeeper saved, yet if it had been a score, it would have been the Goal of the Year. Then a 30-metre sheer Drinčić-free kick bomber came, but the goalkeeper inactivated it.

Match action: Saša Marković

In the second half Napredak tried to get a grip and get the control over the game. In the 51st minute Trujić had a try from the penalty area line, with no success. A few minutes later Stanojević headed the ball dangerously to Partizan’s goal line after a corner, but Lukač was at his place.

In the 60th minute Marković gave a long pass to Ninković. Everyone’s favourite Džigi headed the ball to the net passing by the goalkeeper running out - but the ball dropped out of the field just barely missing the goalpost.

In the meantime fans remembered 17-year-old Gojko Sekulić, who also tragically lost his life.

This was not the end.

Grave Diggers remembered that Crvena Zvezda fan who was stabbed to death by Turkish fans on 22nd November at the Galatasaray - Crvena Zvezda basketball match.

Meanwhile in the 68th minute Dimitrov had a subtle try, barely missed. Škuletić also had a try from a counter-attack, no success.
Two minutes later Andrija Živković (who joined the game as substitute) passed the ball from the left to the middle, almost from the base line. Lazović jumped up to head it to the goal line, but he was late with just one step. But nothing was lost, because there was Branko Ilić sneaking behind him. The Partizan-defender grabbed the ball and shot it to Napredak’s goal (while making a "tunnel trick" to Frimpong). 2:0

In the 82nd minute Bajić had a try from counter-attack, but his shot was way too wide. Three minutes later Trujić made a shot from a sharp angle, but the ball rolled over in front of the goal line.
Then in the 86th minute Škuletić realized that the match is almost over, but he still haven’t scored a goal. He ran up, stole the ball from a Napredak defender and made a marvellous, 40-metre solo run all alone. He left everyone behind him, dribbled the desperate Popović, who ran out, and walked in to the net with a wide grin, seriously, only the red carpet was missing. 3:0

In the 88th minute Lukač saved Cvetković’s shot. Then we were pretty much in the extra time, most probably everyone was focusing on the aftermatch hot shower, when Napredak made a sudden attack in the 90+3rd minute. Lukač saved Trujić’s shot, but the ball dropped right in front of Ndiaye. The Senegalese striker shot and scored into the empty net. 3:1

Highlights:

Facts:

Venue: Partizan Stadion
Number of spectators: 3000
Referee: Vlado Glođović (assistants: Srđan Kaurin, Matija Olajos-Nagy - 4th assistant: Branko Pavlović - goal line assistants: Aleksandar Vasić, Róbert Kis-Csepegi)

FK Partizan: Lukač - B. Ilić (Kojić, 88.), Ćirković, Stanković, Volkov - S. Ilić, Marković, Drinčić, Ninković (A. Živković, 71.) - Lazović (Luka, 78.), Škuletić
Head coach: Marko Nikolić

Napredak: Popović - Cvetković, Frimpong, Jančić, Urošević - Stanojević (Dimitrov, 66.) - Lazić, Gobeljić, Trujić - Ndiaye, Božović (Bajić, 75.)
Head coach: Saša Štrbac

Goal scorers: Lazović (36.), B. Ilić (72.), Škuletić 85.), Ndiaye (90+3.)
Yellow card: Gobeljić (32.), Božović (38.), Urošević (55.), A. Živković (77.),  Dimitrov (78.)

Current championship standings:
1. Partizan 34 points
2. Crvena Zvezda 28 points
3. Vojvodina 26 points
4. Čukarički 22 points
5. OFK Beograd 21 points
6. Novi Pazar 20 points*
7. Mladost 17 points
8. Jagodina 17 points
9. Spartak Zlatibor Voda 17 points
10. Rad 15 points
11. Donji Srem 15 points
12. Borac 12 points
13. FK Voždovac 11 points*
14. Radnički Niš 11 points
15. Napredak 10 points
16. Radnički 1923 7 points

Teams marked with * played only 12 matches.

(photos: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)

On the death of a Crvena Zvezda-fan

As a Partizan-fan I'm barely ever bothered by the red team's business, unless we play with them. I even try to stay out of fans' mud throwing, I leave this rage to others.
Now there is something I can't, I don't want to just walk by. I mustn't just walk by it. Neither as a sports fan, nor as a human.
Today in Istanbul Zvezda clashed with Galatasaray in Euroleague. It all started when Turkish policemen did not want to allow Zvezda-fans to enter the sports hall and dispersed the few hundred Serbian fans with tear gas.
Then, when they could finally get to Abdi Ipekci Arena, Zvezda-fans got a rude welcome. Thousands of Turkish fans were waiting for them with flags of Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina, chanting "Kosovo, Kosovo".
Guess how it all ended.
In a huge fight.
So big that a Zvezda-fan was stabbed to death. A 25-year young man who decided to take a thousands of kilometres long trip just to see his favourite team, to support them, to share joy or maybe even sorrow with them.
Instead we all share in mourning now.

(photo: Facebook)

He was a kid, full of dreams, plans and enthusiasm. He had family and friends.
It must never happen. It has nothing to do on sports tribunes.
It has nothing to do at anywhere.

Rest in peace, M. I. May the Eternal Light shine for you.
Počivaj u miru, brate.


Update: Galatasaray-fans openly threatened the fans of Partizan, Olympiakos and CSKA Moscow as well.

Atalarımıza karşı yaptığınız gibi biz tek siz hepiniz. @delije_net @UltrasGate7 @familyPARTIZAN pic.twitter.com/ZYSg0SGLx1
— Anadolu Yakası (@uAnadoluYakasi) November 23, 2014

Let me ask a question from the organizers of Euroleague: What will be the consequences of all this? (I very much hope there will be consequences, so much that prevents Galatasaray from all European cup competitions for the entire century.)

Update 2:
Partizan-fans remembered the Crvena Zvezda-fan died tragically in Istanbul at the football match on 23rd November with a banner as well as ritually burning a Galatasaray-flag.

Translation of the banner (approximately): "Sadness touched Serbia/Last greeting from the South"

(photo: Facebook/Partizan is life)

Funeral of Milan Galić

Today at 1 pm family members, friends, former teammates and delegates of Partizan’s team management said farewell for the very last time to Partizan’s former striker. The funeral was held in Belgrade’s New Public Cemetery.

(photo: hotsport.rs)

Mourning

Milan Galić, former forward of Partizan and the Yugoslav national team passed away today. He was 76 years old.

Počivaj u miru!...