Red Star Belgrade Fires Coach After 2-0 Loss to Hapoel Be'er Sheva

Following a painful 2-0 defeat to Hapoel Be'er Sheva, Red Star Belgrade held an emergency meeting on Wednesday where they accepted the resignation of head coach Dejan Stanković. Club president Zvezdan Terzić announced at a press conference that a new coach will be appointed by Friday, with three candidates under consideration, including one foreign coach. Terzić described the match as the toughest in his 30 years with the club, criticizing the team's performance as "impotent" and lacking confidence, noting he saw fear in the players' eyes during halftime.

Terzić recounted his conversation with Stanković after the game, revealing the coach had warned before the match he would resign if the team lost. He also criticized the coach's conduct during the game, particularly a red card incident that left the team disadvantaged. Terzić blamed the media for adding pressure on Stanković and said the coach's stress negatively affected the players.

The president expressed embarrassment over the team's poor showing against a Hapoel Be'er Sheva side valued at 9 million euros, compared to Red Star's 70 million. He highlighted the stark contrast between the teams and admitted the club was outplayed. Terzić also mentioned a conversation with Hapoel's sporting director, who praised their player Louiso as a "diamond" acquisition, underscoring the quality gap evident in the match.

Red Star plans to appoint a new coach promptly to restore confidence and shake up the locker room after this disappointing European qualifier exit.