Dejan Stankovic, 47, has stepped down as head coach of Red Star Belgrade following a disappointing exit from the Champions League preliminary round, losing 0-3 on aggregate to Israeli side Hapoel Beer Sheva.
In the second leg at the Maracana Stadium in Belgrade, where Red Star lost 0-2, Stankovic was sent off in the 57th minute for protests and was seen spitting at the referee. According to reports, the Serbian manager informed his players of his resignation immediately after the match.
Stankovic’s Resignation from Red Star Belgrade
Stankovic had previously indicated to his squad that he would resign if they failed to advance to the group stage of the Champions League.
After losing the first leg 0-1, Red Star was still favored to qualify, but a home defeat of 0-2 sealed their fate, with Stankovic exhibiting visible frustration throughout the match.
The former Inter Milan player also made headlines for his unsportsmanlike behavior, spitting at the referee right after his dismissal.
Stankovic’s Record of Failures
Stankovic has faced four eliminations in his attempts to qualify for the Champions League, each time against teams with lower rankings.
In the 2020-2021 season, Red Star was ousted in the third round by Omonia after a penalty shootout. The following season, he experienced another third-round exit against Sheriff Tiraspol, with the Moldovan side winning 1-0 on aggregate after a 1-1 draw in Serbia.
Stankovic later suffered a similar fate with Ferencvaros, where Maccabi Haifa advanced with a 5-4 aggregate victory. His latest dismissal marked yet another failure, compounded by his unsportsmanlike conduct during the match in Belgrade, where he vehemently protested against referee Glenn Nyberg before spitting at him after being shown the red card.
