UEFA opens disciplinary case against Red Star Belgrade for Mladic tribute
UEFA has charged Crvena Zvezda with three counts, including discriminatory behavior, after fans displayed banners reading 'General, eternal glory and thanks' during a Europa League match against Viktoria Plzen. The banners honored Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb general convicted of genocide who died on Thursday. The Srebrenica Memorial Center said the club's use of official channels to spread such messages cannot be reduced to fan behavior.
Crvena Zvezda, Serbia's most decorated club with 37 league titles and the 1991 European Cup, now faces three UEFA charges stemming from Thursday's Europa League match. The club lost 5-1 to Viktoria Plzen, dropping to the Conference League, while its social media posted images of banners reading "General, eternal glory and thanks."
Mladic, who died Thursday at 84 while serving a life sentence in The Hague, was convicted for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre that killed 8,000 Muslim men and boys. The Srebrenica Memorial Center argued the club's official channels made this more than fan behavior, questioning the club's institutional commitment to UEFA's values.
This case could test UEFA's enforcement of its anti-discrimination rules and may set a precedent for how governing bodies handle clubs whose official platforms amplify politically charged messages. It could also strain relations between Serbian football institutions and European bodies, potentially affecting fan culture, club reputations, and broader discussions about how sports organizations address historical atrocities.