In the year 1990, Crvena zvezda won both trophies of the National Championship. All things considered, Crvena zvezda only had one failure in the season 1989/1990: the didn’t play the European Cup Finals, because after defeating the German team Köln at Marakana (2:0), they lost the game away 3:0. During this return match the coach Dragoslav Šekularac was sent away and punished by the UEFA. Due to this incident, Šekularac resigned because he wouldn’t have been able to lead the team through the European Cup.
- Wasn’t I saying last autumn that this team would give its best in the Spring – said Šekularac.
And that’s exactly how it went. Out of 14 national matches Crvena zvezda won 11, and drew three times. However, the second Championship session didn’t start too well for the Crvena zvezda team: in December they lost match with Sloboda in Tuzla 3:0. This was also the only game where they conceded three goals. But the very next week they defeated Vojvodina 3:1.
During the winter break, Šekularac’s wish was granted and Miodrag Belodedić, who had won the European Cup with Steau, and would repeat the same success with Crvena zvezda, joined the team. That’s how the key defense problem got solved, the confidence grew, the defense became firmer, more reliable and invincible. If you add up the fact that Stevan Dika Stojanović performed some excellent goalkeeping in the spring, that the backs were very good and Ilija Najdoski was a reliable partner to Belodedić, it becomes clear why Crvena zvezda was unbeatable that spring.
Besides the Champion title, Crvena zvezda won some other trophies and rewards that year. They scored most goals. Excluding the official result 3:0 victory over Dinamo, Crvena zvezda scored 76 goals, thus raising their own (as well as Dinamo’s) record of goals scored during the Championship by a goal. The center-forward player Darko Pančev was the Championship’s best scorer with 25 scores.
The red and white team won more points at home (30) and away (20) than any other club, and suffered the lowest number of defeats (5).
During the spring session, Crvena zvezda won by far most points – 27 total. Dragan Stojković Piksi was declared the best player of the season, Dragoslav Šekularac the most successful coach, Stevan Stojanović the best goalkeeper. All this data shows how superior Crvena zvezda was in the period preceding the disintegration and the bloody war in ex Yugoslavia. Crvena zvezda was far ahead of the biggest rivals, Dinamo was 11 points behind, Hajduk 13, Partizan 14...
Roster:
Ivan Adžić 2, Miodrag Belodedić 14-1, Zoran Vujović 15, Zoran Dimitrijević 2, Miloš Drizić 12-1, Slavoljub Janković 2, Vladimir Jugović 1, Goran Jurić 21, Dragi Kanatlarovski 29-1, Vladan Lukić 25-10, Slobodan Marović 27-2, Zvonko Milojević 4-5 received goals, Ljubiša Milojević 8-1, Mitar Mrkela 23-2, Ilija Najdoski 29-1, Zoran Pavlović 2, Darko Pančev 32-25, Robert Prosinečki 31-5, Duško Radinović 29-2, Dejan Savićević 25-8, Stevan Stojanović 29-24 received goals, Dragan Stojković 30-10, Vlada Stošić 25-4, Refik Šabanadžović 10.
Coach:
Dragoslav Šekularac