Red Star Belgrade fans display tribute to Ratko Mladic during derby
Supporters of Red Star Belgrade showcased a large tifo depicting convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic ahead of Sunday evening’s derby clash with Partizan. Before kick-off at the Eternal Derby, fans from both sides united for a minute’s silence in memory of Mladic, who had passed away in a United Nations detention facility the previous month, reports BritPanorama.
This display directly defied recent disciplinary actions taken by UEFA against Red Star for similar commemorative gestures. The match concluded with the home side winning 2-1 in this crucial Serbian top-flight encounter.
Mladic was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2017 for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. His military leadership is infamously linked to systematic atrocities committed against non-Serb civilians during the Bosnian War from 1992 to 1995.
The most notorious incident he orchestrated was the massacre of around 8,000 men and boys in Srebrenica, a crime that has been labelled as genocide by international courts.
Moreover, Mladic directed the lengthy siege of Sarajevo, resulting in over 10,000 deaths. He managed to evade capture for more than a decade, protected by Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic, who himself died while facing charges of genocide.
This season, UEFA had already imposed a fine of 90,000 euros, approximately £77,000, on Red Star for displaying a banner in honour of Mladic during a Europa League playoff against FC Viktoria Plzen in August.
In a striking reaction to the tifo and the pre-match silence, Red Star’s official social media accounts shared footage of both moments, complemented by a saluting emoji, further igniting controversy. The Bosnia-Herzegovina national football team’s official Twitter account swiftly condemned this reaction with a pointed retort.
Despite his conviction for egregious crimes committed on European soil since World War II, Mladic continues to be idolized by segments of Serbian society. His funeral drew thousands to a church in Belgrade, alongside a significant public memorial.
The displays of admiration witnessed both at the derby and Mladic’s funeral reveal the enduring divisions that remain in the region, more than three decades after the conflict in Bosnia. On the pitch, Red Star’s victory secured them bragging rights, but off it, the implications of their tribute linger heavily.
