Red Star write Champions League history: Nobody managed to do this before the Serbian club
Red Star (Crvena Zvezda) Belgrade footballers broke their own record
Serbian champions Red Star drew 1-1 against Switzerland's Young Boys on Tuesday night in the second leg of the Champions League playoffs and thus, after a 2-2 draw in the first match, thanks to the away goals rule qualified for the most elite European competition.
This success is great in itself due to the fact that the club's finances cannot be compared to those of other Champions League participants, big clubs like Real Madrid, PSG, Manchester City, Barcelona, Juventus, Bayern, and others.
But the success is even greater when one considers that Red Star started its march towards the Champions League group stage from the first round of qualifying, remaining undefeated at home during that period, and finally entering the group stage.
And not for the first time, either.
Three seasons ago, the red-and-whites started from the first round of qualifying and also managed to reach the group stage of the Europa League and qualify for the last 32.
Then, last season, Red Star became the only club to make it to the top competition, the Champions League, while starting in the first round of qualifying. At that time, coach Vladan Milojevic's footbalers lost only two of the 17 matches on the European stage.
When it comes to this season, Red Star managed to break their own record, again start from round 1 of qualifying and join Europe's top clubs, twice in a row - this time eliminating Suduva, Helsinki, Copenhagen and Young Boys along the way.
VIDEO: Goal! Red Star's goal against Young Boys taking it to the Champions League
(Telegraf.rs)