The derby between Crvena Zvezda and Partizan was accompanied by an ugly and highly controversial episode before the start of the match. On the steps of the stadium, Partizan fans showed support for Ratko Mladic, the former commander of the Army of Republika Srpska, convicted of war crimes.
The situation escalated shortly before the start of the match, when Partizan fans began chanting in Mladic's name. The episode took on another dimension when, before the start of the match, a minute of silence was held in his honor.
Mladić died while serving a life sentence. In 2017, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia convicted him of his role in crimes committed during the wars in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the genocide in Srebrenica.
