If you are a football fan, then Serbia is a perfect country for you to visit. Why you wonder? Because there is no country that loves football more than Serbia. Everyone in Serbia watches football – from children to women.
The football history of Serbia dates back to the 1920s when they played their first matches. There’s even a movie “Montevideo, Bog te video!” which tells a story about the Serbian football team and their journey to the First World Football Championship in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1930.
Today, the Serbian national football team’s nickname is the Eagles which may not be so popular globally but can pride itself on producing some of the top talents including Nemanja Matic, Nemanja Vidic, and Aleksandar Kolarov.
These are already the perfect reasons to check out Serbia and its football scene. However, to give you more incentive, here are 5 reasons why Serbia is a perfect destination for football fans.
The Eternal Derby
What you should know about Serbian football is that there are two top clubs – Crvena Zvezda (Red Star) and Partizan. These two clubs are well known for their never-ending rivalry, so much so that it’s named the Eternal Derby. This rivalry goes all the way back to their beginning in 1945.
The success of both of these football clubs is impressive. Red Star was the best team in the world back in 1991 when it won the Intercontinental Cup and the European Champions Cup. And Partizan has the bragging rights as the club that played in the first-ever European Champions Cup match in 1955. Partizan was also the first Serbian club to qualify for the UEFA Champions League in 2003–2004.
Both clubs have a lot of followers or fans if you will. There was never a game between these two clubs that didn’t end with massive pyrotechnic performances or even hooliganism. All in all, experiencing the Eternal Derby as a football fan may be a unique experience.
Watching football in Serbia
If you were wondering where you can watch football in Serbia, the answer is anywhere. Most football matches are passionately watched all across Serbia, so you won’t have any problems finding a perfect spot to watch and cheer your favorite team on.
However, if you find yourself in Belgrade during some of the biggest cups or championships, there are certain places where you’ll find a perfect crowd to watch your favorite sport with.
Start with Knez Mihajlova Street, there you’re bound to find a café, bar, or restaurant that has a TV screen with a game on. If you want something sportier, check out Spasicev pub. This pub is actually a sports pub with the best sports atmosphere when the football games are on.
Sports betting places
If you can’t watch a game without betting on your favorite team, we’ve got you covered there, too. All across Serbia, there are top-notch betting places and casinos if you want to try your luck. You can bet on your favorite football match by going directly to a casino, or you can make use of a live casino.
All in all, betting in Serbia is not a problem. You are bound to find a great spot to bet and win some money while cheering your team on.
Attend domestic games or play a game yourself
As a football fan, you have to attend at least one domestic game in Serbia. As we mentioned, football in Serbia is very popular, and almost every town, big or small, has at least one football team. This means that you can expect at least one game every day.
It won’t be difficult for you to find a ticket for a domestic game no matter where you are. However, if you want to attend the game between Red Star and Partizan, you should get a ticket in advance.
On the other hand, if you don’t want to watch but play some football yourself, that is something you can do in Serbia as well. There are tons and tons of sports centers where you can kick some ball either for fun or recreational purposes.
You’ll also see many kids and adults playing football on the street. So, ask them to join and you can be sure that they won’t say no!
Visit football museums and stadiums
When a football fan is in Serbia, they can’t miss visiting the largest stadium – Rajko Mitic (Marakana) stadium. This stadium is the place where some of the numerous international matches at a senior level have happened, including the European Cup final in 1973 and the UEFA European Championship finals in 1976.
Since Rajko Mitic stadium is a home ground of the Red Star club, here you can also visit the Red Star Museum.
If you happen to be in Novi Sad, you can visit the home ground stadium of FC Vojvodina – Karadjordje stadium. This stadium is currently the most modern stadium in Serbia that has one of the best pitches in the country.
So, football fans, if these 5 reasons weren’t enough for you to visit Serbia, we don’t know what is. Don’t forget to put Serbia on your list of countries to visit!