The Eternal Derby: Red Star Vs Partizan - The intense Battle of Belgrade

Red Star Belgrade and Partizan Belgrade are two of the most successful clubs in Serbian football.

The rivalry between the two sides dates back 75 years and is regarded as one of the fiercest in European football.

All you need to know about the Eternal Derby

The Eternal Derby also known as the Derby of Southeast Europe was first played on January 5, 1947, where Red Star got the better of their rivals 4-3.

The Belgrade derby is an intra-city rivalry formed in the erstwhile Communist5 Yugoslavia post World War II. The clubs were formed by two ideologically political institutions. While Red Start was formed on March 4, 1945, by the United Alliance of Anti-Fascist Youth, Partizan was formed by the sports association of the Yugoslav People's Army later in the same year.

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As years went on, the rivalry became more intense as tensions rose between the country's government and its ministry of defence.

To date, 168 competitive matches have taken place between the two clubs with Red Star leading the head-to-head record with 66 wins, 19 more than River Plate (47). 55 matches have ended in a draw.

Former Partizan and erstwhile Yugoslavia forward Marko Valok is the all-time highest goalscorer in the Eternal Derby with 13 goals to his name.

Most successful club in the Eternal Derby

The Red-Whites (Red Star) are more successful than their rivals when it comes to winning league titles. Serbia/Yugoslavia have had four top division leagues till date, People's Republic of Serbia League, Yugoslav First League, First League of Serbia and Montenegro and the current top division league the Serbian SuperLiga.

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While Red Star have bagged a record 33 league titles (all combined), Partizan have won it 27 times.

Iconic players who played in the Eternal Derby

There is a long list of superstars from Serbia/Yugoslavia who have appeared in the Eternal Derby. Iconic players such as Dragan Džajić, Dejan Savićević, Darko Pančev, Dusan Vlahovic, Nikola Milenkovic, Lazar Markovic, Stefan Savic, Aleksandar Mitrovic and several others have played in this iconic fixture.

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There are also players who have played for both the clubs namely Goran Miljevic, Milovan Ciric, Milko Durovski and many others.

How to reach Belgrade from India, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, and Australia?

There are no direct flights available to Belgrade from any of the Indian cities. The carriers who travel between Indian cities and the Serbian capital are Qatar Airways, Lufthansa and Indigo.

There are no direct flights from Singapore to Belgrade. The flights which operate are KLM Airways, Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways.

In Malaysia, Emirates and Qatar Airways travel between Kuala Lumpur and Buenos Aires. There are no non-stop flights available.

In the Philippines, there are no direct flights to Belgrade. Carriers who operate in the country are Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways and Air Serbia.

Unfortunately for fans in Australia, there are no flights available to Belgrade.