Red Star Coach Stankovic Faces Exit After Underestimating Hapoel Be'er Sheva in Champions League Playoffs

Red Star Belgrade's coach, Dejan Stankovic, is set to leave the club following a disappointing elimination from the UEFA Champions League playoffs by Israeli team Hapoel Be'er Sheva. The defeat has sparked outrage in Serbia, with critics accusing Stankovic of repeating past mistakes after previously losing to Maccabi Haifa in 2022 under similar circumstances. Serbian sports outlet Sportal harshly criticized Stankovic, calling him the main culprit for the failure and highlighting his underestimation of Be'er Sheva, a team perceived as weaker on paper.

On August 2, prior to the recent elimination, Stankovic had downplayed comparisons to the 2022 loss against Maccabi Haifa, stating that the club had progressed and that he preferred facing Be'er Sheva over Vikingur due to logistical reasons. However, following the latest defeat, Serbian media contend that Stankovic failed to learn from past errors and did not adequately prepare his team, resulting in a performance described as shameful. The atmosphere at Red Star's home stadium, Marakana, was reportedly hostile, with fans booing the team.

The club and its supporters are now questioning how the situation deteriorated to this point, with Stankovic's future at Red Star effectively over. The elimination marks a significant setback for the Serbian club's ambitions in European competition and underscores the challenges of underestimating opponents in international tournaments.