Red Star Belgrade celebrate Champions League qualification by parking tank outside stadium

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Tanks for the support! The Serbian side have been criticised for taking an armoured military vehicle through the city streets

Red Star tank
Red Stat Belgrade tank

Red Star celebrated their Champions League qualification on Tuesday – by riding an armoured vehicle through the streets of Belgrade. 

The Serbian champions secured their progression to the group stage of the competition for the second season in a row, after a 1-1 draw against Young Boys took them through on away goals. 

Aleksa Vukanovic put Red Star ahead in the 59th minute, before an own goal from substitute El Fardou Mohamed Ben Nabouhane made for a nervy final nine minutes for the home side. However, Young Boys couldn't find another goal, and Red Star can now look forward to finding out their Champions League group stage opponents on Thursday. 

Prior to the match, Red Star fans had sparked controversy by placing a T-55 battle tank outside the Rajko Mitic Stadium. The BBC reported that the vehicle was unveiled with a message that read: “The Northern Army (the Red Star fans) is stronger with a combat vehicle.”

The stunt evoked strong memories of the Balkans’ violent past among the nations bordering Serbia. 

The tank has been labelled as deliberately provocative by some in Croatia and Bosnia, as it was unveiled on the anniversary of fighting beginning in the Croatian town of Vukovar during the country’s War of Independence.

Some reports claim that a group of rival Dinamo Zagreb fans responded to that act by placing a rusty tractor outside of their home ground, symbolising the flight of the Serbs on tractors after the Croatian army pushed them out of the country in 1995. 

The tank wasn’t the only military vehicle on display in Belgrade on Tuesday. Following their victory, Red Star fans and players clambered aboard an armoured car and raced around the streets of the Serbian capital, letting off a number of flares. You don't get this down the King's Road...

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Conor Pope
Conor Pope
Online Editor

Conor Pope is the former Online Editor of FourFourTwo, overseeing all digital content. He plays football regularly, and has a large, discerning and ever-growing collection of football shirts from around the world.

He supports Blackburn Rovers and holds a season ticket with south London non-league side Dulwich Hamlet. His main football passions include Tugay, the San Siro and only using a winter ball when it snows.