Partizan are aiming to ensure their third ever appearance in the Champions League proper, while their first obstacle on the qualifying route will be Skendija, champions of Macedonia, as has been determined in the draw procedure in Noin, Switzerland. The Serbian champions’ first leg of the 2nd qualifying round will be played against the debutants on 13 July in Belgrade, while the return leg is played either on 19 or 20 July in Skopje, because the Macedonian team’s stadium in Tetovo fails to meet UEFA’s standards.
Partizan were definitely lucky in the draw, although at this stage of the qualification there should not be any real worries for the Serbian giants, as the only arguably easier fixture than Skendija for Partizan would have been the winner of the 1st round tie between Tre Fiori (San Marino) and Valletta (Malta).
The flipside of this relatively easy outing for Partizan as they get down to more serious tests on the road to Champions League group stage are the tensions which could arise between the two fan groups. Skendija play in their home kit which is a combination of black and red and, unrelated to AC Milan, draw their inspiration from the town’s and fans’ predominant Albanian nationality and the colours of the flag.
Moreover, Skendija’s fans call themselves Ballists and the name was disputed in the former Yugoslavia because they bore the name of the Albanian ethnic paramilitary groups from the Second World War. The fan group is renowned for its incidents, the latest of which happened last year when during an away league game in Kicevo Skendija’s fans removed the national Macedonian flag from the staff inside the stadium and replaced it with an Albanian flag, after which the police intervened.
Mladen Krstajic, the Partizan sporting director, did not reflect on the opposition.
- “Against the Macedonian team I expect these games to be close, but I also expect us to be on top of them and come out as winners in the two games and progress to the next round,” said Krstajic.
