The Belgrade derby has once again made history — this time in the shadow of fire. During the match between Crvena zvezda and FK Partizan at Stadion Rajko Mitić, thousands of seats were burned and the damage is estimated in the hundreds of thousands of euros. The club has announced legal action to recover costs and rapid repairs ahead of upcoming fixtures.

Fire in the south stand of Rajko Mitić in Belgrade

The most serious incidents during the match between Crvena zvezda and Partizan Belgrade occurred around the 56th minute, shortly after the home side scored their second goal. In the sector occupied by Partizan ultras, plastic seats were set on fire, triggering a rapid blaze in the southern stand of Stadion Rajko Mitić in Belgrade. A thick column of smoke rose above the ground, forcing the referee to temporarily halt the game.

In addition to the arson, a number of seats were torn from the concrete structure of the stand, increasing the scale of the damage. Images of burning seats quickly spread across social media, becoming another stark symbol of a rivalry that has long exceeded purely sporting boundaries.

Emergency response and resumption of the derby

Emergency services reacted immediately. Firefighters entered the stand and brought the blaze under control within minutes, preventing it from spreading to adjacent sectors. Thanks to the swift intervention, the match resumed around the 64th minute and was completed without reports of serious injuries among fans or players.

Police presence had already been significantly reinforced before kick-off, yet tensions could not be fully contained. After the final whistle, officers secured the most heavily damaged sections, and authorities announced a detailed investigation into the incident.

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Extent of the damage at Rajko Mitić stadium

Photographs taken after the derby revealed the full scale of the losses at Red Star’s ground. The southern stand of Rajko Mitić was visibly scorched. Hundreds of plastic seats were completely burned, melted or ripped out, while isolated damage was also recorded in the eastern and western stands. According to stadium director Stefan Dičić, more than 4,500 seats were destroyed in the southern sector alone, with additional losses in other parts of the stadium.

Fire and smoke also damaged infrastructure beyond the seating itself. Toilets in the southern stand were affected, as were elements of the scoreboard located near the fire, entry readers, optical installations, parts of the power supply network, the CCTV monitoring system, sections of the athletics track and club branding.

Dičić stressed that despite visible fire damage, the load-bearing structure of the stands was not compromised in a way that would endanger the overall safety of the facility. This assessment opens the door to relatively swift repairs ahead of upcoming fixtures.

Costs and Partizan’s responsibility for the damage

Preliminary estimates point to significant financial losses. The stadium director stated that the expected material damage exceeds €150,000. This figure includes the replacement of thousands of seats, repairs to sanitary facilities and the scoreboard, restoration of entry systems, optical and power infrastructure, as well as the reconstruction of damaged monitoring and advertising elements.

As Dičić explained, there is an established claims procedure. Police are conducting inspections and damage assessments, a detailed report is being prepared, and Red Star is collecting repair bids, which will then be submitted to the Disciplinary Commission of the Football Association of Serbia.

Based on initial information, FK Partizan will be required to cover the costs. The club could also face disciplinary sanctions, including financial penalties and potential restrictions on its supporters’ attendance at future away matches.