Fans of Red Star Belgrade displayed a tifo depicting Ratko Mladic, a convicted war criminal, shortly before a derby match against rivals Partizan on September 7, 2026. The display occurred one day prior to Mladic's funeral in Belgrade.
Mladic, known as the 'Butcher of Bosnia,' was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2017 for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. He died in prison last month at the age of 84. The former Bosnian Serb commander was responsible for the massacre of over 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995, as well as the prolonged siege of Sarajevo and the establishment of concentration camps.
Red Star Belgrade's social media channels shared a video of the tifo, which also showed players from both teams observing a moment of silence for Mladic. This incident follows previous sanctions against the club for similar displays.
Earlier in September, Red Star Belgrade was fined £77,000 by UEFA after fans displayed a banner commemorating Mladic during a Europa League match against Viktoria Plzen. Additionally, the club was banned from selling tickets to supporters for its next away game in a UEFA competition, which will affect their upcoming Conference League match against Lugano.
Serbia proceeded with public tributes to Mladic despite warnings from the European Union. Thousands of mourners gathered at the Church of St. Luke in Belgrade for his funeral service, with many Serbs still regarding him as a hero. Military honors were reportedly planned for his burial.
Mladic was apprehended in 2011 after more than a decade in hiding and was convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.