Mladic tribute at Belgrade derby exposes enforcement gap in Serbian football

Red Star supporters used a Belgrade derby against Partizan to honour Ratko Mladic, displaying the slogan “Direction Potocari”, unveiling a giant image of the former Bosnian Serb commander and observing a minute’s silence.

Mladic was convicted of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role during the 1995 Srebrenica genocide. “Direction Potocari” refers to words attributed to him when he entered Srebrenica on 11 July 1995. Potocari hosted a United Nations peacekeeping base and gathered Bosniak refugees during the war.

The tribute followed UEFA sanctions totalling €98,250 over an earlier pro-Mladic banner displayed during a Red Star Europa League playoff match in the Czech Republic. The punishment included restrictions on supporters attending the club’s next two European away fixtures and the activation of a suspended penalty linked to racist conduct by Red Star fans.

The display was also part of a broader pattern involving Serbia’s major football clubs. Partizan’s hardcore supporters had displayed their own pro-Mladic message at a match on 31 August, with a Mladic flag flown over the stand.

Analysts cited by Al Jazeera linked Serbian football ultras to nationalism, political mobilisation, organised crime and paramilitary activity dating from the breakup of Yugoslavia. They cautioned that the claims concerned particular groups or individuals, rather than supporters as a whole, and warned that repeated stadium displays risk normalising hate speech and violence.

The central problem, one analyst said, was enforcement. Club fines may have limited effect if those responsible remain untouched, while Serbia’s existing legal framework would need to be applied quickly, consistently and without exceptions to clubs and individuals responsible for violence and hate speech.