History
|
The derby replaced the pre-World War II rivalry between BSK Belgrade and SK Jugoslavija. SK Jugoslavija was disbanded in 1945 and most of its property was attributed to the newly formed Red Star. BSK continued existing although changed its name a number of times being known since 1957 as OFK Beograd, and has lost its strength and its place in the derby to Partizan. Although OFK Beograd was successful, both Red Star and Partizan quickly over took it in popularity not only in Belgrade but in Serbia on a whole.
The origin of Red Star and Partizan went out of political institutions. Red Star was formed on 4 March 1945 by "United alliance of anti-fascist Youth" of Serbian new civil authorities in Yugoslavia. A few months later, specifically on 4 October 1945, Partizan was founded as a club of Yugoslav People's Army. The first match between these football sections was played on 5 January 1947. Red Star won 4-3 and an intense rivalry has existed ever since. Partizan got its first win in the next derby. On 27 April 1947 Partizan won 1-0.
Over time, from the purely athletic competition for the Yugoslavian Championship became a kind of power struggle between the Interior ministry and Ministry of Defence. Despite the internal competition between the two ministries, the Derby acquired by his high level of play and its great atmosphere worldwide fame and recognition. The two clubs were dominant in the post-1945 Yugoslav First League having Red Star won 19 and Partizan 11 Yugoslav championships. The clashes of these two against Hajduk Split and Dinamo Zagreb, the third and fourth respectively in number of national titles, were similarly intense. The four clubs were known as the big 4. After the break-up of Yugoslavia in 1992 the Belgrade derby further intensified, having since then the two clubs won all national titles except one, with Partizan winning further 14 and Red Star 6 by 2013.
Read more about this topic: Eternal Derby (Serbia)
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“As History stands, it is a sort of Chinese Play, without end and without lesson.”
—Henry Brooks Adams (1838–1918)
“It’s a very delicate surgical operation—to cut out the heart without killing the patient. The history of our country, however, is a very tough old patient, and we’ll do the best we can.”
—Dudley Nichols, U.S. screenwriter. Jean Renoir. Sorel (Philip Merivale)
“It takes a great deal of history to produce a little literature.”
—Henry James (1843–1916)