Corona forces DFB team into a ghost match at empty Belgrade stadium
In the half‑empty Rajko‑Mitic Stadium in Belgrade, which once held 110,000 spectators, the DFB team is waiting for the Nations League match against Serbia, while only children under 15 are allowed to enter the stadium. The COVID restrictions turn the match into an almost ghost game.
In Belgrade's Marakana, a fiery atmosphere usually reigns, regarded as a cauldron and the site of great football battles. Older Bayern fans recall the 1991 semi‑final, when Klaus Augenthaler scored a late goal for Red Star Belgrade. In 1976, Uli Hoeneß kicked the ball into the night sky in the European Championship final, another memorable moment of the stadium.
After a harsh UEFA sanction, the Nations League match of the German side remains surprisingly quiet. The usually electrifying atmosphere will be barely noticeable. The Serbian association did not comment on the penalty, while some media lamented the sanction as a “brutal punishment” of Serbian football. Consequently, the German guest block remains empty.
Empty Stands and Strict Entry Rules
Only children under 15 in organized school and club groups are allowed to enter the stadium. A delegation of 200 people, including 50 especially loyal fans, will accompany the German team. The stadium bears the official name Rajko Mitic, the home of Red Star. The Serbian association expects a total of 5,000 visitors in the bowl.
Jürgen Klopp will be a guest on Friday at 20:45 in the Nations League match in Serbia. As a player for Mainz 05 in the 90s he already played in practically empty stadiums. He recalls the ghost games during the COVID period and says: “But yes, unfortunately we simply experienced what it was like during the COVID period.” The difference is “insanely huge” for him.
Problems with certain fan groups in Serbian stadiums are systemic, as the ultras are extremely nationalist, racist and prone to violence. They are also infiltrated by organized crime and state intelligence services. In September a scandalous incident occurred, in which the deceased war criminal Ratko Mladić was honored with chants and banners. The Serbian association warns that political messages, pyrotechnics and violence have no place in the stadium.
In February 2021 the alleged mafia boss Veljko Belivuk, leader of the Principi ultras of Partizan Belgrade, was arrested; police seized firearms and drugs in the Partizan stadium. Trouble with Serbian football fans recurs.