Red Star Belgrade Coach Stankovic Resigns Minutes After Defeat by Hapoel Be'er Sheva

Following Red Star Belgrade's 2-0 away loss to Hapoel Be'er Sheva in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers on August 11, 2026, coach Dejan Stankovic announced his resignation to the team in the locker room. This defeat sealed Red Star's elimination with a 3-0 aggregate score, prompting a significant shock in Serbian football circles. Stankovic had reportedly promised to resign if the team failed to qualify for the Champions League, a commitment he fulfilled immediately after the match. The club's management convened an emergency meeting to discuss potential replacements and strategies to rebuild the squad after this setback. This marks Stankovic's second tenure as Red Star's head coach, with his previous term ending similarly in 2022 following elimination by Maccabi Haifa in Champions League qualifiers. The Serbian media criticized the team's performance as helpless and highlighted disciplinary issues, including Stankovic's ejection for spitting towards a referee, describing it as a disgraceful end to his coaching period at the club.