The EuroLeague derby between Partizan Belgrade and Red Star had everything – just not a pure basketball evening. While Partizan came out on top in sporting terms, riots surrounding the game made negative headlines.
The Belgrade derby was once again characterized by tension and chaos. Partizan ultimately prevailed 89:82 against Zvezda to celebrate their second derby victory of the season. The victory has only limited sporting significance for Partizan, but makes the rival’s starting position in the race for the play-in places considerably more difficult.
The situation escalated even before the start of the game. Partizan supporters threw objects in the direction of the Red Star fans, and shortly afterwards there were clashes with the police. Pyrotechnics and riots ensured that the focus was no longer exclusively on the sport early on. It was almost a miracle that the match was able to start on schedule at all.
Fan behavior causes unrest and interruptions during the match
Interruptions also occurred repeatedly during the match. Laser pointers, objects being thrown onto the pitch and heated scenes characterized the action. The incidents reached their climax 29 seconds before the end after a decisive basket by Carlik Jones, when objects flew onto the court again and a scuffle broke out in front of the home side’s bench.
The already expected explosive nature of the derby finally turned into chaos. While Partizan was at least able to give its fans a sporting success, Red Star is now under massive pressure in the battle for the postseason after the defeat.