History of Red Star Belgrade (1990–91)

Master plan - the birth of the European giant

Since the mid-eighties, plans for winning the European Cup were made at "Marakana". During the previous two decades, Red Star had achieved fine European results by forming the team out of its youth players and by occasionally bringing young, talented footballers from smaller, mainly Serbian clubs into the team. The new Red Star management, led by Dragan Džajić, decided to take a different pathway. They opted for choosing the best Yugoslavian players in order to create an equipe which could immediately compete at continental level, and even become a candidate for the European trophy. In 1986, first step in the new direction was taken by fetching Borislav Cvetković, Milivoj Bračun and Slobodan Marović, as well as by bringing along one of the greatest Yugoslavian football player ever - Dragan Stojković "Piksi" from Radnički Niš. Only a year after this, "Piksi" was followed by Dragiša Binić, who later made one of the fastest European offense, along with Cvetković. It followed goalkeeper Stevan Stojanović, who came through Red Star's youth ranks. In 1987, the first big challenge arrived Belgrade. Spanish giant Real Madrid, with its stars Hugo Sánchez and Emilio Butragueño, were defeated in the quarter-finals of the 1986–87 European Cup season at the "Marakana" by 4–2, but "the Royals" had only knocked Red Star out on away goals (Real won in Madrid by 2–0). Red Star continues to build its "Dream Team" and Dinamo was left without the most gifted player – Robert Prosinečki, who won later with the Yugoslavia the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championship, including the winning of the award as tournament's best player. It followed the new Yugoslavian representative and defender Refik Šabanadžović. In 1988, Dejan Savićević and Darko Pančev, the best remaining players of the league, signed for the Red & Whites, as well as the talented Ilija Najdoski. How much Red Star was ready for great accomplishments showed the subsequent season. In 1988, "Marakana" welcomed a new super spectacle with the unexpected reprisal. In 1988–89 European Cup season, Red Star played against Arrigo Sacchi’s A.C. Milan with its Dutch European champions trio Gullit, van Basten and Rijkaard, the absolute superstars at that time, as well as the devensive stars Baresi, Maldini, Costacurta and Tassotti. Milan was then the absolute power in football and the biggest challenge for the club, but at San Siro, Red Star shocked the "Milanesi" by a goal from Stojković and managed a well-deserved 1-1 draw. Many of the Milan fans worried of having to bid farewell to Europe, and rightly so. In the hell of Belgrade, Milan were in trouble when Savićević put Red Star ahead in front of 100,000 fanatical Red Star fans. Fortunately for them, Milan were saved when the game was abandoned in 64th minute by referee after due to thick fog. Due to extremely poor visibility it was decided that the match couldn't continue that day. The match was then voided and the game was replayed the next day. Striker van Basten gave Milan a first half lead, but Stojković equalised soon afterwards and there were no further goals. Milan progressed to the quarter-finals after winning the penalty shoot-out by 4–2, and won at the end also the European Cup.

Key lesson - the circle closes

Even though the coaches switched each year, Red Star managed to maintain a game-style based on quick strikers and top quality midfielders and was almost excluded in its first attempt. In 1989, in a duel with Vojvodina from Novi Sad, Red Star lost the title, which later had tremendous impact on the game. Therefore, another attempt to take the European throne was dedicated to winning the UEFA Cup. In 1989, after eliminating Galatasaray and Žalgiris, came one of the crucial days on the Red Star’s journey to Bari. Šekularac’s team was severely defeated and eliminated during the third round of the UEFA Cup against Littbarski’s 1.FC Köln, thus learning a key lesson in competitive soccer - the hard way. In Belgrad, Red Star won in front of (as so often in those days) 100,000 spectators by two goals from Savićević, but they went down 3-0 in Cologne, although Red Star controlled the game for the whole hour. Pieces of a puzzle continued to fit with former European Cup winner Miodrag Belodedić. In 1988, when Ceauşescu was still in power, Belodedić defected from Romania to Yugoslavia and Red Star immediately signed him. Romanian authorities forged his professional player contract, and UEFA suspended him on the basis of data furnished. In 1989, Belodedić was given the green light to play for Red Star. In 1990, Šekularac was replaced by Ljupko Petrović, the man who took away the title from Red Star only a year before with Vojvodina. He brought Red Stars’s talented junior Vladimir Jugović to the first team (and soon Mihajlović). The club was seriously weakened by the departure of captain Stojković, who was undoubtedly among the best World players that year, which he proved at the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Stojković left Red Star for Marseille, not even assuming that he won’t see his fellow-players before next May. Although without a captain, Red Star stayed extremely strong and well covered at each position. Red Star easily won the championship, and the time came for this carefully assembled equipe to prove itself at the highest level. Even if political situation at that time make this to a difficult thing.

First spectacle - the Grasshopper Blues

In the First round of 1990–91 European Cup, the draw placed the Grasshoppers from Zürich on Red Star Belgrade’s path. The Swiss club, led by coach Hitzfeld and its stars Sutter and Sforza, shocked "Marakana" with Közle’s leading score, while Binić, who returned to Red Star in the summer (after two years abroad), managed to even the score. With the result being 1-1, Red Star had a difficult starting position, but the revanch at Hardturm stadium showed the real abilities of Petrović’s team. Prosinečki, who won the Best Young Player Award on 1990 FIFA World Cup, started a series of scores in the European Cup, by netting the rival two times, which two more scores were gained by Pančev and Duško Radinović. Therefore, another Közle’s goal didn’t upset anyone. Red Star defeat Grasshopper Zürich overwhelming 5-2 over to legs. The second round provided a real spectacle at Red Star Stadium, due to the fact that Scottish record-winner Glasgow Rangers were visiting Belgrade. The Blues wanted a good result on this day. Nevertheless, the overcrowded "Marakana" with its supporters, the Delije, inspired Red Star players to perform another magnificent match, during which chances came one after another. Within minutes, in addition to Brown scoring an own goal, Prosinečki’s free kick score doubled the advantage. Finally, Pančev provided a definite 3-0 result which led to an outburst of joy. During the return match at Ibrox Park, Pančev punished the rival again by using the attractive scissors-technique, after which the legendary McCoist was only able to even the result. Red Star demonstrated their power and the 1-1 draw in Glasgow brought Red Star a 4-1 aggregate master class.

German tour - from Dresden to Munich

Red Star continued their impressive form into the quarter-finals. The club began a German tour, enhanced by Siniša Mihajlović from reigning Yugoslav champion Vojvodina (who was then being paid one million Deutch marks, for that time this was a lot of money) against the last DDR champion Dynamo Dresden. The match was highly anticipated and at hell "Marakana", scenery was the same as the one against Glasgow – a rival was overrun in front of incredible 100,000 Red Star fans (in front of the stadium further 20,000) and sent back home, following a 3-0 result. Even Prosinečki’s free kick scored again, and Binić and Savićević won the rest of the points, just like before. The atmosphere at this day was one of the best in the history of Red Star matches. The Dresden match had a bad beginning, the East Germans sparked hopes when they scored after only three minutes by Gütschow. However, a difference in game quality was soon noticed - Savićević and Pančev managed to reverse the result. The match was stopped in the 78th minute by the referee, due to Dynamo Dresden fans causing commotion in the stands and throwing objects onto the field. UEFA awarded a 3–0 win to Red Star, 6–0 on aggregate, and Red Star reached the European Cup semifinal for the third time in history, where they met FC Bayern Munich with its World champions.

Although Red Star experience with Bayern was bad, (two sequential losses a decade earlier), the club was dominated by optimism, mostly outspread by Red Star legend and director Džajić, who had announced a victory in Munich. Wohlfahrt’s score only temporarily gave Bayern the advantage, because Red Star took the initiative at Olympic stadium and struck back. Just before the half-time break, Prosinečki passed the ball to Binić, a quick run and a cross at the last goal-post followed, in addition, Pančev accepted the ball – the result was 1-1. Then, on 70 minutes, the Red Star defence broke down a Bayern attack and Pančev served Savićević perfectly, who ran from centre to the penalty area, and was untouchable for Kohler and Aumann, the result was 1-2 and about 15,000 Red Star fans on the north tribune celebrated the victory. Remarkably is, that Red Star was the first team that could beat Bayern on the Olympic Stadium in its long UEFA competition history. However, a gate on the road to trophy began to open-up and this was just the beginning. The Bayern was awaited by the Delije with a historical flare show around the whole Red Star Stadium. But shortly previously, Yugoslavia was in fact on the brink of civil war, it straddled the first firefight of the war, as Croat extremists fired three Ambrust missiles into Borovo Selo on the border with Serbia, the village where Red Star midfielder Mihajlović grew up. And exactly he increased Red Star’s advantages in Belgrade by a first half free-kick by two points.

Agony started when Augenthaler’s free-kick went through Stojanović’s arms and legs. Five minutes later, Bender scored for a 1-2 result. Bayern evened the result and didn’t intend to stop there. In the last 30 minutes, chances came in a row in front of both goals. As the game entered its final seconds, Red Star attacked for one final time. Then came the historical moment, Jugović conducted the ball along the diagonal and double-passed with Pančev. Prosinečki took over the ball,passed through the left side of the field and returned the ball to Mihajlović, after whose low cross into the penalty area Bayerns Augenthaler stuck out a leg to intercept, but succeeded only in sending the ball high into the air, Pančev confused Aumann, and it looped over his goalkeepers head and into the net. The sky opened, the stadium exploded and the amazing 100,000 Red Star fans were delirious. Red Star players and supporters went wild with delight for there was no time left for Bayern to come back again. The final whistle sparked off a huge celebration inside the stadium as well as a massive celebratory pitch invasion. The 4-3 aggregate win brought Red Star, after two semi finals, the first European Cup final in history, where waiting Olympique de Marseille.

European star

The 1991 European Cup Final was played in Bari. Red Star coach Petrović brought the team to Italy a week before the finals, in order to peacefully prepare the players for a forthcoming encounter with Olympique. By that time, Red Star had 18 scores at 8 matches, whereas the French champion had 20. Therefore, the 100th European competing final was expected to be a spectacle of offense. Nonetheless, both Petrović and Goethals opted for a defence and the match settled down into a war of attrition. After a 120-minute game and only few chances on both sides, the decision was made following the penalty shootout. Prosinečki hit Olmeta’s net by a right medium-high-kick, while Stojanović defended Red Star goal from Amoros’ kick by bouncing to the right, during the first series. It showed later that this was the crucial point of the game. Then came the scores, in the following order: Binić, Casoni, Belodedić, Papin, Mihajlović and Mozer. A chance to triumph got Darko Pančev, the winner of the European Golden Boot – he aimed near the centre of the goal, kicked the ball, converted and brought the European Cup to Yugoslavia for the first time. Red Star won the shootout 5-3 on 29 May 1991 in front of 60,000 spectators and the millions watching on television around the world. 20,000 Red Star fans at Stadio San Nicola and millions of them all over Yugoslavia and the World celebrate the greatest joy in Red Star’s history. Sadly the night of the 1991 European Cup Final was to prove to be one of the final times that Yugoslavia could come together to celebrate as one.

Prepared in England, made in Japan

As European champion, Red Star Belgrade played for European Super Cup trophy, as well as for the Intercontinental Cup, who held for decades in Tokyo, in the far Japan. At that time, the Super Cup consisted of two matches. However, there was only one match against Manchester United, held at Old Trafford, due to war which had already begun in Yugoslavia. In spite of the fact that Red Star Belgrade controlled the largest part of the 1991 European Super Cup final, and the fact that Savićević glittered at the "Theatre of Dreams", the only goal was scored by McClair.

In Tokyo, Red Star looked for a chance to finish the year with another international trophy. There, its rival was Chile’s Colo Colo, the Copa Libertadores winner. On Santiago de Chile’s team bench was Mirko Jozić, under whose leadership Yugoslavia became a Youth World Champion, and Prosinečki, who was the World’s best among those of his age. However, Prosinečki left the team right after winning the European Champion title (sold for €15 million to Real Madrid, one of the most expensive transfers at this time), just as Stojanović, Marović, Šabanadžović and Binić did. During the 1991 Intercontinental Cup final, Jugović, the youngest regular of the club, scores two goals at National Stadium and a brilliant play over the entire field brought him later the Toyota prize, which was intended for the best player of match. The superiority of Red Star was so oppressive, that even after the exclusion of Savićević just before the half time, another comfortable victory could be retracted. At the time of the red card, Belgrade were already 1-0 ahead by Jugović. However, another goal was gained by him and Pančev, which brought Red Star the final score of 3-0. On 8 December 1991, Red Star had everything that a football club can achieve, it was both the European Champion as well as the World Champion and was at the height of its fame.