1999–2000 First League of FR Yugoslavia

First League of FR Yugoslavia
Season 1999–2000
Champions Red Star
21st domestic title
Relegated Proleter
Hajduk Beograd
Mogren Budva
Spartak Subotica
Borac Čačak
Champions League Red Star
UEFA Cup Partizan
Napredak Kruševac
UEFA Intertoto Cup Obilić
Matches played 420
Goals scored 1,094 (2.6 per match)
Top goalscorer Mateja Kežman (27)
← 98-99
00-01 →

The 1999–2000 First League of FR Yugoslavia was the eighth season of the FR Yugoslavia's top-level football league since its establishment. It was contested by 21 teams, and Red Star Belgrade won the championship.

Incidents

Tragedy at the Eternal Derby: death of Aca Radović

The season was marred by the tragic event that occurred on October 31, 1999, during Partizan vs. Red Star tie (the 113th edition of the so-called Večiti derbi) when 17-year-old Red Star fan Aleksandar "Aca" Radović from Opovo was killed by a signaling rocket fired from within the stadium. Radović, a third-year student at First Belgrade Gymnasium, was supporting his team from the Partizan Stadium's north end when in 20th minute of the match he got hit in the chest by a signaling rocket fired from the opposite end of the stadium, which is where Partizan fans were located. Partizan just scored a goal to go up 1-0 and certain members of their fans Grobari fired a series of ship signaling rockets from the south stand where they traditionally gather as a way of celebrating the goal. Most of those rockets landed on the stadium's north stand where Red Star's fans Delije always gather, and one of them hit the unfortunate teenager right in the chest near his throat, cutting his aorta. He died almost instantly as he was being moved from the stands onto the stadium's athletic track and into the ambulance car.[1]

Amazingly, the match was not stopped and the two teams continued playing, a decision that led to a lot of public criticism directed at two clubs, the football league, and the FA.

Further investigation conducted by the police discovered that the particular rocket that killed Radović was fired by Partizan fan Majk Halkijević (born 1975) from Krnjača. In addition to Halkijević, three other individuals Nenad "Kec" Kecojević (born 1976) from Mali Mokri Lug, Aleksandar "Sale" Aleksić (born 1975) from Krnjača, and Zoran "Prcko" Jovanović (born 1974) from Belgrade were also firing rockets at the stadium on the same occasion. According to the investigation, the ship signaling rockets were originally purchased in Greece before being smuggled into Serbia. In Belgrade, Grobari leader Zoran "Čegi" Živanović bought 10 of them along with 60 flares, all from Mirko Urban. Čegi brought the stuff to Partizam Stadium on the day of the derby, handing it over to Časlav "Čaja" Kurandić. Čaja then took the flares and rockets into the stadium with help from FK Partizan's equipment manager Branko "Gavran" Vučićević who hid them inside the bags with team's sports equipment. Once inside the team's dressing room the packages with flares and rockets were passed to Goran "Tuljak" Matović and Dragan "Lepi Gaga" Petronić through the dressing room's window. From then on the packages were carried through east stand and onto the south stand through the protective fence while Nikola "Džoni" Dedović diverted steward's attention. On the south stand, group leader Čegi distributed the rockets and flares to certain number of Grobari, including Majk Halkijević.[2]

At the trial that dragged on for almost two years, the accused were not tried for murder but for a lesser charge of disturbing public order and causing general endangerment. The verdict was delivered on March 1, 2001, with Halkijević getting one year and 11 months sentence.[3] Aleksandar "Sale" Aleksić got one year and eight months while Nenad "Kec" Kecojević, Zoran "Čegi" Živanović (Grobari leader) and Časlav "Čaja" Kurandić got year and a half. Furthermore, Dragan "Lepi Gaga" Petronić and Srđan Šalipurović got six months, while Mirko Urban also known as Mirko Pekar (Mirko the Baker), accused of selling the rockets to Grobari, got year and a half.[4] Others who were on the accused list but received no sentence were Zoran "Prcko" Jovanović, Nikola "Džoni" Dedović, Branko "Gavran" Vučićević, and Goran "Tuljak" Matović.[5]

Teams

Due to decision of the Football Association of FR Yugoslavia of enlargement of the league from 18 to 22 teams, the teams from earlier season was not relegated.

Before that season FK Priština was withdrew from the competition due to situation in Kosovo, so a status of the team was frozen.

From the 1998–99 Second League of FR Yugoslavia to the league was entered: Borac Čačak, Čukarički, Hajduk Beograd and Sutjeska Nikšić.

Club City Stadium Capacity
Partizan Belgrade Partizan Stadium 32,710
Red Star Belgrade Red Star Stadium 55,538
Vojvodina Novi Sad Karađorđe Stadium 17,204
Zemun Zemun, Belgrade Zemun Stadium 10,000
Rad Belgrade Stadion Kralj Petar I 6,000
Proleter Zrenjanin Stadion Karađorđev park 13,500
Hajduk Kula Kula Stadion Hajduk 6,000
Obilić Belgrade FK Obilić Stadium 4,500
Železnik Belgrade Železnik Stadium 8,000
Mogren Budva Stadion Lugovi 4,000
OFK Beograd Karaburma, Belgrade Omladinski Stadium 20,000
Sartid Smederevo Smederevo City Stadium 17,200
Spartak Subotica Subotica City Stadium 13,000
Radnički Kragujevac Čika Dača Stadium 15,000
Hajduk Beograd Belgrade Stadion Hajduk Lion 4,500
Čukarički Belgrade Stadion Čukarički 7,000
Sutjeska Nikšić Gradski stadion (Nikšić) 10,800
Borac Čačak Čačak Stadium 6,000
Budućnost Podgorica Podgorica Podgorica City Stadium 12,000
Radnički Niš Niš Čair Stadium 18,000
Milicionar Belgrade SC MUP Makiš 4,000

League table

Pos
 Team
 Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 Pts
Qualification or relegation
1 Red Star Belgrade (C) 40 33 6 1 85 19+66 105 2000–01 UEFA Champions League First qualifying round
2 Partizan 40 32 5 3 111 30+81 101 2000–01 UEFA Cup Qualifying round
3 Obilić 40 28 5 7 71 32+39 89 2000 UEFA Intertoto Cup First round
4 Rad 40 17 9 14 56 46+10 60
5 Sutjeska Nikšić 40 17 9 14 50 500 60
6 Čukarički 40 15 11 14 42 43−1 56
7 OFK Beograd 40 15 10 15 58 62−4 55
8 Železnik 40 15 9 16 55 47+8 54
9 Zemun 40 15 9 16 47 57−10 54
10 Vojvodina 40 15 8 17 54 50+4 53
11 Radnički Niš 40 16 4 20 50 49+1 52
12 Budućnost Podgorica 40 15 7 18 45 450 52
13 Radnički Kragujevac 40 13 13 14 35 41−6 52
14 Hajduk Kula 40 15 7 18 39 46−7 52
15 Milicionar 40 14 9 17 52 520 51
16 Sartid 40 14 8 18 42 47−5 50
17 Proleter Zrenjanin (R) 40 12 10 18 36 49−13 46 Relegation to 2000–01 Second League of FR Yugoslavia
18 Hajduk Beograd (R) 40 14 3 23 56 75−19 45
19 Mogren (R) 40 13 5 22 40 70−30 44
20 Spartak Subotica (R) 40 8 5 27 34 84−50 29
21 Borac Čačak (R) 40 6 4 30 36 100−64 22

Source: RSSSF.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
Napredak Kruševac from Second League qualify for 2000–01 UEFA Cup as runner-up of 1999–2000 FR Yugoslavia Cup.
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.

Champions

Red Star Belgrade (Coach: Miloljub Ostojić (sacked couple of weeks into the season), Slavoljub Muslin)

Players[6] (league matches/league goals)

Top goalscorers

Rank Player Club Goals
1 Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Mateja Kežman Partizan
27
2 Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Mihajlo Pjanović Red Star
22
3 Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Petar Divić OFK Beograd
21
4 Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Vladimir Ivić Partizan
19
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Saša Ilić Partizan
19
6 Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Dragan Đukanović Mogren
17
7 Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Nenad Mirosavljević Proleter Zrenjanin
15
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Gabrijel Radojičić Obilić
15
9 Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Bogić Popović Hajduk Beograd
14
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Zoran Janković Vojvodina
14

References

  1. ↑ Radović Aca; B92 Blog, 31 October 2008
  2. ↑ Ubistvo na stadionu;NIN 4 November 1999
  3. ↑ Navijačima od šest do 23 meseca; Glas javnosti, 1 March 2001
  4. ↑ Grupi navijaca zatvorske kazne;novine.ca, 2001
  5. ↑ Uneli rakete kroz svlačionicu; Glas javnosti, 2 November 1999
  6. ↑ Red Star official website
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