Red Star Belgrade complete unprecedented quadruple

Red Star Belgrade have completed the season unbeaten by taking the Balkan Super League crown from rivals Partizan.

Red Star beat Partizan 30-6 to win the Grand Final at the SC Inge Stadium in Zvezdara.

This year’s competition featured 15 teams from seven nations and victory saw the red and white’s pick up an unprecedented fourth trophy of the campaign, which saw them win all their 21 games.

“To be undefeated from February to November and to win four trophies is an amazing effort,” said Red Star managing director, Colin Kleyweg.

“It is starting to sink how special this team is. We will now have a two-week break until we will commence indoor training for entry into the historic UK Challenge Cup in January.”

Phil Economidis’s men add the regional championship, in its second season, to the Serbian Championship, Cup and Super Cup, beating Partizan in all three deciders.

There was little between the sides in the first half, Red Star leading 10-6 thanks to tries from Predrag Keglić and Petar Milanović to one from Dragan Janković, but they dominated the second period with 20 unanswered points, running in four more tries including a second to Milanović, who was outstanding.

“Going into the break the game was very much in the balance,” noted Economidis.

“At half-time we discussed the need to lift the tempo as I believed we had the edge in fitness. It certainly paid dividends as the longer the game went on.

“Credit to both teams for producing a really hard-fought final in a fair a spirited manner.”

Red Star: Zogović, Krstić, Čengaj, Milanović, Trifunović, O’Brien, Đorđević, Herron, Dedić, Janković, Keglić, Đurić, Nedeljković. Subs: Štrbac, Bajić, Milenković, Srećković.

Partizan: Janković, Bitići, Milutinović, Srbljanin, Janković, Čarapić, Jašari, Bibić, Ilić, Stoiljković, Bajrami, Bitići, Kušić. Subs: Milutinović, Ivanović, Karanović.