The Return No One Wanted

The atmosphere at Rajko Mitic Stadium turned toxic in an instant. Dragan Stojkovic, known universally as Piksi, walked into a cafe near the stands hoping for a quiet meeting. Instead, he found himself face-to-face with the fury of the Delije. The ultra-fans of Red Star Belgrade did not mince words. They did not offer a handshake. They offered an eviction notice.

Piksi had come to see Stevan Stojanovic, a former club goalkeeper and the cafe owner. But the owner could not calm the storm. The crowd’s hostility was immediate and deafening. To avoid a physical altercation, the former national team manager turned on his heel and walked. It was a retreat forced by the sheer weight of resentment.

A History Written in Hostility

History has a cruel sense of humor. This was not a first-time occurrence. Almost fourteen years ago, in 2012, the exact same script played out. Piksi was chased from that very same spot. The hatred has not faded; it has fermented. During his tenure as Serbia’s manager from 2021 to 2025, he remained a pariah to the club’s most vocal supporters.

The roots of this animosity dig deep into the early 2000s. From 2005 to 2007, Stojkovic served as the club’s president. The Delije believe he drained the club’s coffers. They claim the debt skyrocketed from five million euros to twenty million under his watch. Trust was broken then, and it has never been repaired.

Scars That Never Heal

The anger is not just about money. It is about principle. Rumors of bans and controversial decisions during his presidency still sting. In 2022, the fans made their stance clear with a massive banner. The message was blunt: the club was never his, and their support was never his to command. Today, that message stands unchanged. For the Delije, some doors are forever closed.