Yet another scandal in Europe unfolded on Friday as Serbian police raided the headquarters of domestic giant Red Star Belgrade as part of an investigation into corruption and organized crime involving the team’s officials. Police said it had detained four Red Star executives, including team administrator Zoran Damjanovic. The organization has been accused of illegal dealings and mafia-style behavior before.
Damjanovic and former president Dragan Stojkovic allegedly supplied fans with flares, inciting them to riot during a Red Star match last weekend. The Serbian daily Politika said the riot was intended as a diversion to sidetrack investigations into the club’s link to organized crime, as well as 15 “murky” player transactions over the past few years. Among them is the high-profile 2006 sale of striker Nikola Zigic to Racing Santander. Zigic has since moved on to Valencia.
Stojkovic, a former international with the former Yugoslavia, resigned as Red Star President a few months ago. He denied the charges and said he would sue Politika for slander. Red Star said the 15 player dealings were open for inspection and had already been looked at by tax authorities.