Belgrade’s lack of pure beauty is made up for in artistic murals and football culture. FK Partizan is one of the capital’s biggest clubs and plays in the old and intimidating Partizan Stadium, which abandoned appearance makes you wonder whether you will get out alive.
Belgrade may not be the first holiday destination that springs to mind, but for the football fan, there is an awful lot to experience. Two of the country’s biggest clubs and a notorious derby, what more could you want? Serbia is not Europe’s most prosperous country, to say the least. Football is the only place where people can release their frustrations.
Most of the city is red and white, the colours of Red Star, but the black and white part of Belgrade is just as loud. FK Partizan was founded in the aftermath of the Second World War by soldiers from the Yugoslavian Army. The Yugoslavian Partisans first fought against fascism in Spain before they beat the nazis in their own country.
Partizan is Serbia’s most successful club after Red Star, with 44 domestic trophies in their cabinet. The club reached the European Cup final in 1966 after they beat George Best’s and Bobby Charlton’s Manchester United in the semi-final. Real Madrid proved too strong in the final for the ‘Parni valjak’ (The Steamrollers), the famous nickname the club gained for its attractive and efficient football.
FK Partizan is known for their youth academy. The club has strongly focused on developing youngsters since its foundation. Nowadays, they still do, although it is also their only way to survive financially. This century we have seen the likes of Dušan Vlahović and Aleksandar Mitrović come through the academy.
If you ignore the advertisements and modern facade, the Partizan Stadium looks a little abandoned. The old brown concrete bowl has rusty (but beautifully large!) floodlights. When walking around the stadium you will see murals, graffiti and stickers everywhere. This all gives a rough and intimidating feeling to the arena. FK Partizan also goes by the nickname of the ‘Gravediggers’, which is very suitable since you wonder whether you might even get out of the stadium alive.
When walking through Belgrade’s neighbourhood of Dorćol, you will notice a lot of black and white street art. Dorćol is Partizan's neighbourhood with many interesting murals made by the supporters' group GTR. Not only of legendary players but also of celebrities like Joe Strummer from The Clash, writer George Orwell and Morrissey from The Smiths. They all have a special connection to Partizan. Orwell fought with two founders of FK Partizan in the Spanish civil war and Strummer used to be a gravedigger in Wales. The connection with The Smiths is more difficult to figure out, but we cannot blame them for being fans of the British band. One of the most beautiful murals is the one of Guyanese-British singer Eddy Grant, who brought an ode to the city with his song ‘Belgrade’.
If you are walking around Dorćol exploring the murals, you could make a quick stop at the United Football Pub. It is a very nice football pub with scarves of many international football clubs hanging off the ceiling. It is a perfect place to watch a football match during the week.
In 1985, 23 days before his 23rd birthday, Partizan striker Dragan Mance died in a car accident on his way to a training session. His tragic death touched the hearts of many Partizan fans. Around 30,000 supporters attended his funeral. His grave, which has a statue of Mance on his knees with his hands in the air, can be found in Belgrade’s New Cemetry (Novo Groblje).
Kalemegdan is Belgrade’s most popular park. Here you will find some tourist attractions, such as the Kalemegdan Fortress. Outside the fort’s walls are basketball courts with the logos of Partizan and Red Star, which both have renowned basketball branches.
There is a unique Partizan store in the city centre which you could visit instead of the stadium's official fan store. In the Partizan Spirit Shop, you can buy many original Partizan souvenirs and t-shirts. They even show love to their favourite musicians in their products.
Do you want to explore other stadiums in Belgrade? Then you are in for a treat because Serbia's capital is a paradise for groundhoppers. We created an online guide to all football grounds that are worth visiting.
Official tickets can be purchased on Ticketline. Please note that this website is Serbian and does not have an English page. It can be easier to buy tickets in the stadium’s ticket office. The arena is rarely sold-out, except when Partizan plays the derby against Red Star. If you would like to experience the derby, it might be easier to go to the one in the Rajko Mitić Stadium. Tickets for Red Star can easily be purchased on the club’s official website.
Trams 9, 10 and 14 can take you to the tram station Oslobođenja, which is within walking distance of Partizan’s home ground. The Rajko Matić Stadium from Red Star is only a few hundred yards from the Partizan Stadium.
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