Red Star Belgrade Coach Resigns After Heavy Defeat to Hapoel Be'er Sheva

Following a crushing 2-0 loss to Hapoel Be'er Sheva at the Marakana stadium, Red Star Belgrade plunged into turmoil. Coach Dejan Stankovic resigned immediately after the match, which saw him sent off for receiving two quick yellow cards, spitting towards the referee, and provoking angry fans. The club's management scheduled an urgent meeting to discuss his replacement.

The atmosphere deteriorated as fans in the western stand booed and demanded the dismissal of the club's leadership. Stankovic taunted the crowd by cupping his ear to incite louder jeers before conceding goals. Players attempted to apologize to the supporters but were shouted down and told to leave the pitch. Stankovic fled the stadium, skipping the post-match press conference, with only assistant coach Nenad Sakic attending to express regret.

Serbian media and former players harshly criticized the team’s performance and Stankovic’s leadership. Former striker Andrea Kaludjerovic called the failure to score in two matches a "complete failure" and blamed Stankovic for poor decisions. Analyst Deyan Celar compared Red Star’s play to Turkish teams relying solely on expensive individual talent, labeling the outcome a fiasco.

This defeat marks a significant blow to Stankovic’s second tenure at Red Star, following a previous exit after a Champions League playoff loss to Maccabi Haifa in 2022. With Red Star preparing for a Europa League playoff against Viktoria Plzen on August 20, the club urgently seeks a new coach to rebuild the team amid fan unrest and organizational instability.