FK Partizan - Borac Čačak 2:0 (superliga, round 33 - play-off, round 3)

The day had an excellent start, because early in the afternoon unknown people attacked Miloš Vazura in front of Partizan stadium, when he arrived at the club’s headquarters. The ugly, fat, pig club’s general director could escape, but the attackers injured a security guard, who arrived to help Vazura.
The club made a press release full of empty phrases, where they go into details for long paragraphs about nothing. Meanwhile Vazura had a tour in the entire Serbian sports media complaining that he was threatened with death. He also told the public that he knew well who had been behind the attack.
He even told the name of the (suspected) scapegoat, who is not else than Nenad Bjeković, Partizan’s former class player, who is aspiring for the club’s presidental seat now. Bjeković instantly laughed it off and told Vazura what to do and with whom.
You can get horrified on these events, you can get shocked, you can moralize, search for a scapegoat, or cross yourself, but there’s one thing you can’t do: get surprised. It was in the air for a while. The egg-throwing case was the last drop. After that it was just a question of time when the fans’ fury will manifest in an open attack. By the way, it surely didn’t shock Vazura too much, as he had enough energy afterwards to have a tantrum in the media and hold others suspect.

I’ll be honest: one side of my mind was laughing hard on it and the only thing it was sorry for is that the attackers couldn’t catch this Mangalica. The other side was a bit more sober, it said, even if they had caught him and beat the hell out of him to make him remember it years later, it still wouldn’t have solved anything. The team would still be in a rut, the management would still be dilettant and the players wouldn’t play any better.

One more thing.
The club’s press release was written on the level of a stupid, spoiled teenage bitch. I find its last sentence especially disgusting that says "all those who don’t condemn this attack, is no longer entitled to be called a Partizan-fan".

Dear everyone, fellow fans, Grave Diggers,
Dear Friends,
I owe you a confession. 
I’m not a Partizan-fan.
As you can see, the management of the team thinks they are allowed to determine who is Partizan-fan and who is not. Heart doesn’t matter. Dedication doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter that you have been a Partizan-fan since birth and the Team is your life and soul. They will tell you who and what matters.
It means, I’m not a Partizan-fan. 
From now on please, read this blog knowing that it’s written by someone who is not a Partizan-fan. (Obviously I’m writing it only because I have nothing else to do.)

A message to the management and especially to the person who handed this press release out (signed as FK „Partizan“, with quote marks): fuck you all and kill yourselves.

Now about the match.

Southern tribune, right before the start

(screenshot/ArenaSport 1)

One last group hug before the game

(photo: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)

The first attempt came in the 4th minute. We got a free kick on the left side, from a sharp angle, approx. 25 metres from the box. Mihajlović kicked it to the goalmouth, the defenders headed it out.
In the 7th minute Saša Ilić forwarded the ball to Bandalovski in the left. Bandalovski crossed it to the middle, but everyone else were far behind to catch the ball.
In the 11th minute Saša Ilić passed to Bojinov in the middle. Bojinov forwarded it to Golubović, he shot, missing the box with a few centimetres.

This was the first real attempt. Otherwise we tried to build up attacks, Borac was stuck in their half, but we didn’t mean any danger for their goal line.

In the 18th minute Bojinov crossed to Golubović from the left. Golubović headed it to the box, it was too high. Then in the 24th minute Bojinov got the ball from Brašanac. He ran up, dribbled a defender (which was a big surprise, because so far Bojinov could operate only with attempts when the ball is served to him on a golden plate), shot, the goalkeeper saved.
Borac could reach to our penalty area only in the 28th minute, but the referee whistled it off, because they were on offside.
Other than this nothing really happened. The pace was slow, Borac passed the ball forth and back, sometimes tackled Partizan’s players, but they couldn’t make it up to our goalmouth. We kept on attacking (or at least trying), but we were blocked most of the time.
Partizan looked to be in pieces. The players were just wandering all around on the field, they seemingly had no idea what to do.
In the 34th minute Everton got the ball in the middle and passed it to Bogosavac. Bogosavac forwarded it to Saša Ilić, he sent it ahead to Bojinov. Bojinov shot from 20 metres, it was way too high.
In the 27th minute we got a free kick from 30 metres, on the left. Mihajlović stood behind the ball, crossed it to the middle. There Bojinov shot, the goalkeeper had a great save. The ball dropped to Golubović, he shot from the five-metre-line, but he sent the ball up to the sky.
In the 39th minute came Šaranov’s usual "show": he wanted to do a goal-kick, but he screwed it up. Vujaklija was hanging around there, he grabbed the ball and shot. The ball hit Miladin Stevanović, ending it in a corner kick. After the kick we made a counter-attack. Bandalovski crossed from a sharp angle into the middle. Brašanac shot, it was too wide.

His facial expression says it all

(photo: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)

In the 45+1st minute Mihajlović shot to the box after a throw-in. The goalkeeper again had a great save. The ball dropped to Golubović again, and the young player didn’t miss it out this time, but shot it into the middle of the net. 1:0

(photos: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)

For the beginning of the second half Borac seemed to come back to life. In the 51st minute Maslać shot after a corner kick. (The ball hit Bogosavac before flying out through the baseline, but still the referee whistled for goal-kick. Oh well. Not as if I wanted to complain.)
In the 55th minute Mihajlović ran up on the left side and crossed to Brašanac in the middle. Brašanac shot, it was too high.
Two minutes later Kostić crossed from the left, Šaranov easily caught it.

A Notts County-flag above Gate M

(photo: partizan.rs)

The two teams were running up and down on the field without building up one single attempt. Finally in the 63rd minute Mihajlović sent a 35-metre-long free kick to the box - but instead it landed right in the hands of the goalkeeper.
In the 64th minute Zec suddenly appeared at our goal and it could have been dangerous, but Bogosavac made an end to it. In the 69th minute Borac got a free kick. Kostić got the ball, he passed it out to the left. A cross came from there, Šaranov caught it.
In the 72nd minute we got a penalty.
Mihajlović was kicked to the ground inside the penalty area. The referee immediately pointed at the white spot. Brašanac stood behind the ball and calmly shot it into the box. 2:0

(photos: partizan.rs)

After the penalty the match just died. Nothing happened, just nothing. There were a few substitutes, sometimes Borac appeared at our penalty area (they had one counter-attack to mention, Bangura headed the ball to the box, if I could see well, but it was too high).

(photo: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)

Highlights:

Facts:

Venue: Partizan Stadion, Belgrade
Number of spectators: 1500
Referee: Dejan Anđelković (assistants: Nemanja Petrović, Vladimir Čađenović - 4th assistant: Marko Dimitrijević - goal line assistants: Milorad Milićević, Igor Kocić)

FK Partizan: Šaranov - Bandalovski, M. Stevanović, Jovanović (Kosović, 75.), Bogosavac - Brašanac, Everton, S. Ilić - Golubović (A. Stevanović, 72.), Mihajlović - Bojinov (Vlahović, 67.)
Head coach: Ivan Tomić

Borac Čačak: Bajić - Tanasin, Krstić, Maslać, Kostić - Balabanović (Adžović, 71.), Petrazzi - Jovanović, Zorić (Bangura, 82.), Zec (Sotirović, 86.) - Vujaklija
Head coach: Tomas Vasov

Goal scorers: Golubović (45+1.), Brašanac (72. - pen.)
Yellow card: Kostić (19.), Vujaklija (36.), Bandalovski (42.), Balabanović (51.)

Current standing of the play-off:
1. CZ 42 points
2. Čukarički 36 points
3. Partizan 31 points
4. Radnički Niš 29 points
5. Vojvodina 27 points
6. Surdulica 25 points
7. Borac 23 points
8. FK Voždovac 21 points

BREAKING: Snežana Filipović has resigned

Snežana Filipović, FK Partizan’s marketing manager

oh, so sorry, my bad. She is not Filipović anymore, but Snežana Borjan, because she thrusted herself on married to Serbo-Canadian ex-Rad, ex-Radnički Niš goalkeeper, Milan Borjan

has resigned today from her position.
It wouldn’t matter too much. Such things had happened and will happen, too. The reason why this blogpost was still written is that Snežana Filipović Borjan published the world’s stupidest, most unnecessary press release after her resignation. You can read it here in Serbian, it’s very entertaining.

On this photo posing still as the marketing manager of FK Partizan

(photo: nadlanu.com)

But let’s see what she’s writing in the press release.
"Since I’ve come to office, I’ve been in a very difficult situation, not just because the economical and financial problems of the club, but also because as a woman I constantly have to undergo all kinds of trials, prejudices and the critics of public opinion."

Dear Sneki, where should I start... You know, the truth is that you yourself did everything for these "trials, prejudices and critics", as you name it. It’s enough just to type your name into Google, a long row of news and images pop up that are all about you pushing yourself to the spotlight. None of them mentions Partizan, your work (if there was any of such a thing as "your work" at all...), only about you showing off. Only you, your private life, and all that big pile of garbage that fell out of your mouth. You did everything to show NOT the image of a serious, committed marketing manager, but instead the image of a stupid, shallow-minded, blonde bitch, typically whom people make obscene notes about. You acted like a brainless celebrity, instead of a professional marketing expert. Why are you surprised?...

She goes on.
"Between September 2012 and January 2016 we signed 24 sponsor contracts, we achieved TV rights and got advertising space during European cup competitions."

For your intention, dearie: during the Đurić-era the team had 0 (zero) sponsors, even though you have been posing as a marketing manager even then. Not just there was no sponsor at all for the team, but even the advertising boards of the stadium were left empty. Nobody wanted to put there their advertisings. Nobody. Let me not link those revolted open letters by fans which charge you right with the lack of sponsors and advertisers, as one of the reasons why the club was and still is in a horrible financial situation. The appearance of the first sponsors can be dated after the Vazura-Vučelić hyena couple used up all their contacts, together with all their bribing/blackmailing abilities. And for sure they didn’t do it for pure love, but for double-digit percentage of shares.
TV rights and advertising space come as the part of the contract. You don’t need to have big talent for that, just a bit familiar with rights.

Let’s go on.
"The PR-activity of the club is of European level."

I had to stop here to laugh. Well done, Sneki, well done. You licked Biki’s* ass so deep that your tongue is covered with shit now.

*Biki, aka Biljana Obradović, FK Partizan’s so-called PR-manager

"...based only on personal contacts. [...] As not just the club, but the whole country is in a very difficult financial/economical situation, the club could maintain only with difficulties, for the lack of resources. As a result, the budget of the marketing department was zero dinars."

Zero dinars. Of course. You could still pay a New Year’s Eve holiday in the Maldives from your zero-budget earning. I guess you’d been saving up for months. Don’t take me wrong; I wouldn’t mind you going to the Maldives or even to the Moon if you had worked hard and dedicated all your time and energy to make it better for Partizan. But you’re not better than your mafioso (ex-)bosses.
By the way, where are the incomes from those sponsor contracts you mentioned above? Why is the budget of the marketing department is zero after 24 contracts? YOU are the marketing manager (or rather, you were...), why did you not do anything to change it? It’s YOUR responsibility, dear Sneki, not of the club or of the country, but yours. As the person in charge at the marketing department you and nobody else should have fought for bigger percentage. Oh, wait, you would have had to work hard to earn it, not just posting duckfaces on your Instagram, right?... Shit happens.

But the best is still yet to come.
"I always wanted to give my best, the maximum."

Well, Sneki, if this was your maximum you could give, then shame on you. It’s better then if you leave. Go away, as far as you can from the club.

My own two cents for the end: I’m happy for the departure of Snežana Borjan as much as for the departure of Stefan Babović. Yet I didn’t write about Babović in a separate post, because despite all he could do it in a gentleman-alike way, silently, with no raid in the press. Yet Snežana made this press release, which can be taken as the public tantrum of a spoiled 12-year-old girl.

Biljana Obradović, you’re next!...

Dragan Ćirić resigned

The news came yesterday, out of the blue. Dragan Ćirić, FK Partizan’s freshly elected sports director has resigned.
We aren’t really pampered with information overload... Ćirić had a brief press release where he explains, when Tumbaković had offered him the position of FK Partizan’s sports director, he started to work with faith and a desire for success, hoping that he could give back something to the club he belonged since the beginning. He adds, in today’s Serbian football faith and desire for success are not enough. When someone works at such a football giant like Partizan, they immediately become a part of Serbian football as well, of that Serbian football that is full of contradictions, personal interests, uncertainty and calculating. For this he does not want to assist. He is a former athlete, now businessman and thanks, but he prefers to stay like that. As closing words he added, he was, is and will be forever for Partizan.

Dear Mr. Ćirić,
As a human, I can absolutely understand you. That’s what I was blabbering about just a few days ago, though I’m sure you see it much more in depths and in details than me. Your press release confirmed my thoughts about Serbian football having that amateurism that has been left here since the 70’s (especially the management of Serbian football), when vassals could get positions instead of experts. You confirmed me that the only solution is to sweep the whole company out and to privatize the entire championship, from Partizan to the smallest teams in the countryside. Until then there will surely be people like you, whose committment is beyond question, but sooner or later the system (and corruption) win over them and they have to give it up, if not else, then for their own health. And they can only watch as corrupted rats let the team rot to the ground.

And to make the shitstorm even larger, Saša Ilić also spoke his mind. He made no secret about his disappointment on Ćirić’s resignation.
- Ćirić would deserve a lot more respect. He was a great player, he knows fans and most of all, he loves the club. I have no idea where it will head - he said, adding, it was not the first time a person with a known and great name leaves the club.
- I thought those times were over. I know Ćirić for years, we played together, he is one of the fairest people I have ever known. I’m sorry it all happened. Partizan is a great team and we shouldn’t allow ourselves to commit those mistakes again we made in the past.

Partizan’s official statement about Ćirić’s resignation can be found here.

Last news-collection of the year

Marko Nikolić stays at Partizan.
So far it’s still unofficial, the news leaked out after today’s (Tuesday) team management meeting. The team leadership had an official press release, too, which is properly evasive and self-adulating. The main (hidden) point is that the management got scared of the possible fury and rage of Grave Diggers.

***

Still talking about Marko Nikolić: Novi Pazar filed a lawsuit against Partizan’s trainer for libel. Nikolić had a heated dispute with the referee of the match played at the beginning of December, then at the post-match press conference he said angrily: this weekend was the rock bottom of Serbian football, adding, it was not the first case such things had happened in Novi Pazar.
Redžep Korać, Novi Pazar’s secretary general said, Marko Nikolić "heated up religious and national arguments among people living in Serbia with his nationalistic words". He added: such words and actions are criminal acts upon the laws of Serbia, with the possible sentence of two to five years of imprisonment. Novi Pazar’s secretary general said, he hoped everyone would learn to take responsibility for their words and actions once and for all, even if this person in question is Partizan’s trainer.
It shows well the seriousness of the case that even deputy prime minister Rasim Ljajić had a word, questionning the efficiency of the police for still not finding the fan who hit Marko Nikolić on the head with a firecracker.

***

Milenko Tepić got injured on Partizan’s Tuesday training. There are no informations on the seriousness of his injury, how much pause he’ll need, if he needs any.
Saša Pavlović will be able to return at the match against Cedevita on 3rd January, if all goes well. But Edo Murić needs at least 2 more weeks for complications. We won’t be able to see him playing before 17th January.

***

Former Partizan basketball player Dejan Musli signed to Mega Leks.

Coming up: Eternal Derby. Tomorrow.

The day has come.
Tomorrow. Ul. Humska. 18th October, 19:00.
Partizan - Crvena Zvezda. For the 147th time.
The usual media warfare has already started. Red team's trainer had a media appearance where he was seemingly full of self-confidence. Marko Nikolić’s reacton was a dry smile.
- An eternal derby has no "favourite teams" - he said. - Our opponent is a highly qualified team, they are dangerous practically on the whole area of the field. We are well prepared for their greatest weapon, namely quick and aggressive counter-attacks.
The trainer told, Brašanac and Ostojić are still injured, while neither Drinčić, nor Kojić can be expected to give maximum performance. He didn’t answered those questions either that enquired about the team’s upcoming Europa League match.
- I’m not thinking about that right now - Nikolić said. - At this moment the most prestigious match is in front of us. We don’t think of anything else now. Such a derby is always special. We want to win. Even a draw is unacceptable.
- We already trained on the new grass - he suggested that Partizan would play their first official match this Saturday on the new ground. - I have to say, we are proud of it. Maybe now, in the 21st century such is not something people are proud of, yet it still mirrors our current situation.
The scandalous Serbia - Albania match was also mentioned.
- We are preparing the usual way - said the head coach, making it clear that national team matches are out of question at trainings. - I don’t know how players personally took it. As much as I can see, everyone is preparing in the appropriate manner.

The referee of the match will be Milorad Mažić. Partizan released an official statement where they ask the fans of both sides to support their teams in the spirit of fair play, free from racist manifestations, not to be taken in by third party provocations. "The European football world is focusing on Serbia now. We must show them we can support our teams with sportsmanlike spirit", they said in the statement.

The match will be broadcasted live by ArenaSport 1. As preparing for the derby they will re-run the 144th and 146th eternal derby from 12:30. (First was when Partizan won with Jojić’s HUGE goal in the 89th minute to 1:0, the other was when Lukač saved two penalties and we won by 2:1.)
And now listen to Saša Ilić.

Photos from yesterday's match

I brought you some images about yesterday's match against Tottenham Hotspur. All of them are from Partizan's Facebook-page.

Photos about the banner covering the southern tribune

Grbić in the role of "steam roller"

Trainers

Ballet Pantić-style

Danilo Pantić in action

...and he keeps the ball

The Boss

Grbić was faster than Tottenham’s player

Luka got just 5 minutes, but he used it well

One of Lukač’s great saves

Here he is punching the ball out of the penalty area

Saša Marković and Nemanja Petrović

High five to Grbić after he came off the field

Ćirković did a good job

Stanković passes the ball back to Lukač

Townsend’s free kick

Grobari

Fans

Volkov is wrestling with a player from the opponent

Vulićević vs. Townsend

Vulićević escapes with the ball

Partizan published an official statement dissociating themselves from the racist, anti-Semitistic banner of yesterday. UEFA in the meantime started the process against the team. If there is any news concerning this process, the blog will be updated immediately.

Update:
UEFA will decide about the consequences of the racist banner on 3rd October. Yet it seems so, Partizan must deal with more issues as well, just as fans throwing firecrackers during the match or the fan who rushed on the field after the final whistle.