Belgrade, March 6 (agencies) - Five months after it was first abandoned, the Belgrade derby between Partizan and Red Star will finally take place at the Marakana stadium on Wednesday.
The original game in October was abandoned after several minutes when rioting fans clashed on the pitch. Partizan players Iliev, Rankovic, Jeremic and Cirkovic, coach Tumbakovic and director Nenad Bjekovic were all injured in the incident, along with many fans of both teams. Fighting between Red Star and Partizan supporters also broke out before the match outside the stadium.
It remains far from clear whether Partizan coach Ljubisa Tumbakovic will attend the game.
"I don't want to go there because my dignity is
endangered," Tumbakovic said. "However I am a
professional and I have the right relationship with my
club. If the club decides that I should lead the team, then
I'll respect that decision."
Tumbakovic won't employ any special tactics for the
game against the league leaders. "It's the old rule that
you play as much as your opponent allows you to," he
explained. "We'll try to impose our style. The one who
dominates on the midfield usually wins."
The atmosphere in the Red Star camp is relaxed and
optimistic. Coach Slavoljub Muslin, as ever, has remained tight-lipped about his starting line-up. "I try not to think about the team," he
claimed. "Some of the players are tired, but I have an
idea of who I will play.
"What I will say is that we won't use any man-to-man
markers. We didn't do it when we played in Europe, so
we won't do it now."
If Red Star avoid defeat, they will stretch their unbeaten
run to a record 48 games. Muslin, though, refuses to let
that be a distraction. "We most certainly will play to win,
as in every game. But even with a draw we would stay
top of the table, and I would give every record for the
double this season! Records are here to be broken, but
they don't interest me."
Red Star: Kocic, Markovic (Zoric), Lalatovic,
Vukomanovic, Bunjevcevic, Gvozdenovic, Ilic, Acimovic,
Boskovic, Pjanovic, Drulic.
Partizan: Kralj, Stanojevic, Cirkovic, Rasovic, Jeremic,
Miskovic (Iliev), Duljaj, Trobok, Ilic, Ivic, Delibasic.
