Full Breakdown
Red Star Belgrade fans honor convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic during derby, prompting UEFA sanctions
9/7/2026, 9:57:23 PM
Core Event
During the Serbian SuperLiga “eternal derby,” Red Star Belgrade supporters unfurled a large tifo depicting Ratko Mladic and observed a minute-long silence in his memory. The display followed a banner reading “General, eternal glory and thanks” that had appeared on the club’s ultras during a Europa League playoff in Plzen, Czech Republic, on August 27, the day Mladic died in The Hague. UEFA subsequently imposed a €90,000 fine on Red Star and a ban on selling tickets to the club’s next European away match.
Background & Context
The slogan “Pravac Potocari” (Direction Potocari) was first used by Mladic on July 11, 1995, as Bosnian Serb forces entered the UN-protected town of Srebrenica, where they later committed genocide. Serbian football terraces have long served as recruitment grounds for paramilitary formations and channels for extremist political messages. Similar tributes appeared during a Europa League tie against BATE Borisov nine years earlier, and Partizan’s ultras displayed a “General, thank you” banner on August 31.
Data & Statistics
- UEFA fine for the Plzen incident: €90,000 (? $104,500).
- Additional fine for the Marakana derby: €50,000 for an unfit message and €8,250 for team misconduct.
- UEFA activated a suspended sanction, converting it into a one-match travelling ban for Red Star supporters, with a conditional extension for two further years.
- Scheduled travel bans: supporters barred from attending Red Star’s European away fixtures in Lugano, Switzerland on October 15 and in Ghent, Belgium on November 26.
Official Statements & Responses
Analysts note that financial penalties often fail to reach the individuals responsible; the sanctions are intended to become “substantial and consistently enforced” to alter behaviour.
Timeline
- July 11, 1995 – Mladic uses “Pravac Potocari” upon entering Srebrenica.
- August 27 – Mladic dies in The Hague; Red Star fans display a banner during the Europa League playoff in Plzen.
- August 31 – Partizan’s Grobari raise a “General, thank you” banner.
- October 15 (scheduled) – Travel ban for Red Star supporters to Lugano.
- November 26 (scheduled) – Travel ban for Red Star supporters to Ghent.
What’s Next
UEFA’s disciplinary framework will monitor Red Star’s compliance with the travel bans and the €90,000 fine. The conditional two-year extension of the ban will be triggered if any further extremist displays occur during the probationary period. Enforcement depends on rapid, consistent action by both UEFA and the Football Association of Serbia.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Glorifying a convicted war criminal is nothing new, but officially paying tribute to him with a minute of silence is new – and it’s the most shameful event this stadium has witnessed,” — Georgiev
- “The political connections between the fans leading the stands and those in power are something of a public secret, with a number of documented examples of direct influence. What we hear or see on the terraces could hardly happen without some form of ‘permission’ from the authorities,” — Ivana Jeremic
