Serial champions with a grand history

31 domestic titles, 24 domestic cups and a double of European Champions Cup and Club World Cup in 1991 – Red Star Belgrade are one of the most successful clubs on the planet and have produced a plethora of players who later made a name for themselves in Europe's top leagues. Examples include Dragan Stojković, Darko Pančev, Robert Prosinečki, Siniša Mihajlović and Nemanja Vidić. The stadium is equally famous. Named after club idol Rajko Mitic – a former striker who made a total of 572 appearances and scored 262 goals for the club between 1945 and 1958 – the arena could hold more than 100,000 spectators up until the beginning of the 1990s and acquired the unofficial moniker of "Marakana" in honour of the legendary stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

While the stadium has been renovated and now has a capacity of approximately 55,000 places, one feature feared by visiting players has remained: the long and intimidating tunnel that leads from the changing rooms to the pitch. Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic, who became the youngest goalscorer in Red Star's history at the age of 16 years, five months and five days, can still vividly recall the long walkway, which bears a greater resemblance to a prison than a football stadium. "I saw how opposing players trembled at the knee there. Especially since our older players always started to intimidate the opponents with trash talk in the tunnel as well," he told the magazine "11 Freunde".

Though often overshadowed by riots, the local derbies against city rivals Partizan have become the stuff of legend across the world. The stadium is literally on fire at each "Eternal Derby", with pyrotechnics set off in all the stands. Serbia's perennial champions, who have won each of the last three titles, have taken on Bundesliga clubs twice in recent years. In 2019, Red Star were beaten twice by Bayern Munich in the Champions League group stages – 6-0 at home and 3-0 in Munich. Two years earlier, they twice beat 1. FC Cologne 1-0 in the UEFA Europa League.

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