MSL: Week of shame for Serbian football

Partizan went four points clear at the top of the MSL after a 2-0 win away to Banat. However, the spotlight was more on events off the pitch in a dark day, indeed week, for Serbian football. MSL: Week of shame for Serbian football Having been rocked earlier this week by the news that Serbia is one of the countries at the heart of UEFA’s investigations into match-fixing, the continuing war of words between Serbia coach Javier Clemente, FA chief Zvezdan Terzic and other officials over who should carry the can for the national side’s failure to qualify for Euro 2008, not to mention the resignation of one of the organization’s directors, Zoran Mirkovic, the game was plunged further into the doldrums after the weekend’s events in Belgrade and Lucani. The most disgraceful incident took place at the Marakana yesterday during the half-time interval of the match between Red Star and Hajduk Kula, when a group of supporters in the north stand attacked a plain-clothed policeman, seriously injuring him, and leaving requiring hospital treatment. Previously, on Saturday, the match between Mladost and Bezanija had been abandoned after the visitors’ players walked off the pitch, after the dismissals of two of their players, and the award of a dubious penalty to the home side. Mladost had been leading 2-1 at the time. As far as events of a purely footballing nature were concerned, the weekend's big winners were undoubtedly Partizan. Having slipped up in recent matches with a series of disappointing draws, and clearly missing their injured star player, Stevan Jovetic, the Humska side got their title challenge back on track with a convincing win in Vojvodina against Banat. Tosic gave the visitors an early lead in the sixth minute, with Lazevski sealing the three points halfway through the second period. The victory was particularly satisfying given that the league leader had been held to draws on their last three trips to Zrenjanin. After the match, Partizan manager Miroslav Djukic told reporters, “After three consecutive draws, and Red Star and Vojvodina cutting the gap at the top, beating a team of Banat’s quality is worth more than three points. I think this will be the start of a winning run and that we’ll end the autumn just as we started it. We’ve had a few injury problems, but all in all, we deserved the victory and we have to be happy having dropped six points in our last three games.“ Meanwhile, in spite of the scenes off the pitch that hogged both front and back pages, Red Star managed to complete their match with Hajduk. Having beaten the same side in midweek comfortably in Kula in a rearranged match, few expected the Belgrade side to have any difficulties in dispatching the Vojvodina outfit on home soil. However, Hajduk took a shock lead a minute before half-time, Jovan Radivojevic slotting home after an astute Ljubomir Fejsa through-ball. Red Star, perhaps following the lead of their supporters in the stands, came out fighting in the second half, and snatched an equalizer 16 minutes from the end. Savo Pavlovic bundled Ognjen Koroman over in the box to earn himself a red card, before Igor Burzanovic coolly converted the resulting penalty. In injury time, Nenad Milijas received his marching orders after a needless tackle, to complete a infinitely forgettable day for the defending champions. In other action, Vojvodina missed their chance to go second, after a highly entertaining goalless draw with OFK, which saw both sides hitting the woodwork on two occasions. The Novi Sad club are now five points behind league leaders Partizan, and one behind Red Star. Elsewhere, Napredak held resurgent Borac from Cacak 0-0, while, towards the foot of the table, Cukaricki and Smederevo also shared the points in a 2-2 draw. Football taking a back seat at the Marakana (Fonet)

MSL: Week of shame for Serbian football

Having been rocked earlier this week by the news that Serbia is one of the countries at the heart of UEFA’s investigations into match-fixing, the continuing war of words between Serbia coach Javier Clemente, FA chief Zvezdan Terzić and other officials over who should carry the can for the national side’s failure to qualify for Euro 2008, not to mention the resignation of one of the organization’s directors, Zoran Mirković, the game was plunged further into the doldrums after the weekend’s events in Belgrade and Lučani.

The most disgraceful incident took place at the Marakana yesterday during the half-time interval of the match between Red Star and Hajduk Kula, when a group of supporters in the north stand attacked a plain-clothed policeman, seriously injuring him, and leaving requiring hospital treatment.

Previously, on Saturday, the match between Mladost and Bežanija had been abandoned after the visitors’ players walked off the pitch, after the dismissals of two of their players, and the award of a dubious penalty to the home side. Mladost had been leading 2-1 at the time.

As far as events of a purely footballing nature were concerned, the weekend's big winners were undoubtedly Partizan. Having slipped up in recent matches with a series of disappointing draws, and clearly missing their injured star player, Stevan Jovetić, the Humska side got their title challenge back on track with a convincing win in Vojvodina against Banat.

Tošić gave the visitors an early lead in the sixth minute, with Lazevski sealing the three points halfway through the second period. The victory was particularly satisfying given that the league leader had been held to draws on their last three trips to Zrenjanin.

After the match, Partizan manager Miroslav Đukić told reporters, “After three consecutive draws, and Red Star and Vojvodina cutting the gap at the top, beating a team of Banat’s quality is worth more than three points. I think this will be the start of a winning run and that we’ll end the autumn just as we started it. We’ve had a few injury problems, but all in all, we deserved the victory and we have to be happy having dropped six points in our last three games.“

Meanwhile, in spite of the scenes off the pitch that hogged both front and back pages, Red Star managed to complete their match with Hajduk. Having beaten the same side in midweek comfortably in Kula in a rearranged match, few expected the Belgrade side to have any difficulties in dispatching the Vojvodina outfit on home soil.

However, Hajduk took a shock lead a minute before half-time, Jovan Radivojević slotting home after an astute Ljubomir Fejsa through-ball. Red Star, perhaps following the lead of their supporters in the stands, came out fighting in the second half, and snatched an equalizer 16 minutes from the end. Savo Pavlović bundled Ognjen Koroman over in the box to earn himself a red card, before Igor Burzanović coolly converted the resulting penalty.

In injury time, Nenad Milijaš received his marching orders after a needless tackle, to complete a infinitely forgettable day for the defending champions.

In other action, Vojvodina missed their chance to go second, after a highly entertaining goalless draw with OFK, which saw both sides hitting the woodwork on two occasions. The Novi Sad club are now five points behind league leaders Partizan, and one behind Red Star.

Elsewhere, Napredak held resurgent Borac from Čačak 0-0, while, towards the foot of the table, Čukarički and Smederevo also shared the points in a 2-2 draw.