Red Star Belgrade Coach Resigns After Shock Defeat to Hapoel Be'er Sheva in Champions League Qualifiers

Red Star Belgrade coach Dejan Stankovic announced his resignation to the players immediately following the team's elimination from the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round by Hapoel Be'er Sheva. The Serbian club, favored to advance, lost both legs and were defeated 3-0 on aggregate by the Israeli side. Stankovic, who had set the goal of reaching the Champions League group stage, took responsibility for the failure and is expected to receive official approval from the club's management in a meeting scheduled for Wednesday.

The Serbian media harshly criticized Red Star's performance, describing the players' disappearance during the matches as "embarrassing" and "classless," especially since no player spoke to the press after the defeat. Israeli midfielder Mohammed Abu Fani, who came on as a substitute in the second half and was sent off in stoppage time, also faced severe criticism for his weak contributions in both games. Having joined Red Star after three seasons at Ferencváros, Abu Fani has yet to win over the fans and now faces pressure to prove himself to the club's management.

Hapoel Be'er Sheva secured at least a spot in the Europa League group stage, sending Red Star to the playoff round for that competition. The Serbian champions' future in European tournaments remains uncertain following this disappointing exit.