Sep
8
Serbian goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic got a nasty surprise recently when he checked out a few of his country’s sports webpages, and saw his own obituary posted there. The reason for this was his decision to join Partizan Belgrade on loan, something deemed unforgivable by fans of his former club, Red Star Belgrade.
Red Star and Partizan hold one of the fiercest rivalries in Europe, and as Stojkovic was once considered a Red Star hero, few would have expected him to make such a move. He left his old club four years ago and joined Sporting Lisbon, but after facing competition for the first team jersey in recent times, he was allowed to leave on loan.
He has said that he “understands” the fierce reaction of his former fans, but that posting an obituary is “too much“. Despite that, he won’t hire bodyguards, and will try to concentrate on helping his new club. His decision was largely based on Partizan qualifying for the Champions League, where they are in a group with Shakhtar Donetsk, Sporting Braga, and Arsenal.
It goes to show how extreme some fan reactions can get, though Stojkovic should have expected such a thing. He is free to go wherever he chooses, but he better than anyone should know he puts himself in danger like this. Hopefully ,there won’t be any further incidents, but you never know in Eastern Europe. Despite his reluctance to hire bodyguards, I’m sure the cub will have security tightened, especially when the Champion League games start.