Red Star Belgrade Faces Player Sales After Champions League Exit to Hapoel Be'er Sheva

Hapoel Be'er Sheva stunned Red Star Belgrade earlier this week with a 2-0 away victory and a 3-0 aggregate win, advancing to the UEFA Champions League playoffs. In Serbia, Red Star is now dealing with the fallout from this unexpected defeat. CEO Zvezdan Terzić announced that several players will be leaving the club as part of a necessary squad overhaul following the failure to progress.

According to Serbian media outlet INFORMER and Sportal, the first player expected to depart is Armenian national team left-back Nair Tiknizyan. Greek club Olympiacos has accelerated negotiations for his transfer, offering 5 million euros, while Red Star demands 6 million euros. Tiknizyan joined Red Star in June 2025 from Lokomotiv Moscow for around 2 million euros, so the club stands to make a significant profit if the deal is completed.

Additionally, midfielder Mahmoud Bajou, who arrived last summer for 3.5 million euros, is attracting interest from other clubs. Terzić emphasized the need to reduce the squad size, citing reasons such as salary budget constraints, maintaining harmony in the locker room, improving training processes, and generating revenue. He noted that players including Bajou, Hendel, Lucic, and Rodrigao are currently training separately in what is referred to as "the cage," highlighting the club's efforts to manage an oversized roster.

Red Star's management appears determined to restructure the team after the Champions League setback, with player sales expected to be a key part of their strategy moving forward.