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DATE=10/14/2000

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=Yugolavia-Football riot (L-only)

NUMBER=2-267948

BY-LINE=Stefan Bos

DATELINE=Budapest

CONTENT=

INTRO: At least 40 people were injured Saturday in the Yugoslav Capital Belgrade during a political charged riot, which forced organizers to abandon a soccer (football) match between two rival football clubs, "Red Star" and "Partizan". The violence came at a time when key allies of ousted strongmen Slobodan Milosevic, and supporters of new President Vojslav Kostunica, failed to agree on the formation of a transitional Government in Yugoslavia's main republic Serbia. Stefan Bos reports from Budapest.

TEXT: Critics warned that holding a football match between Belgrade's arch rivals just a week after Yugoslavia's velvet revolution---may not be a good idea. For reasons not clear, organizers of the match between Red Star and Partizan shrugged of those warnings, a decision they now regret. Saturday's riot, which injured dozens of supporters, even surprised football veterans of the Belgrade football scene.

Just three minutes after the play began the match was already abandoned,as a barrage of fireworks and plastic chairs thrown by hooligans forced the players of both clubs to flee for safety. At the same time hundreds of Red Star fans,many of them dressed on the club colors of red and white, broke out of their section and were seen streaming across the stadium to confront the Partizan supporters, in what appeared to be a politically motivated revenge attack.

Partizan is said to have traditional links to the Yugoslav military, and the clubs'chairman is the Prime Minister of Yugoslavia's main republic Serbia, Mirko Marjanovic, an ally of ousted President Slobodan Milosevic, who refuses to step down. But Red Star supporters have close ties to the opposition,which has become clear during the first days of the revolution.

/// ACT 1:---Sound of last week's revolution--- ///

Western camera teams say Red Star supporters played a crucial role during last week's storming of the federal Parliament building and the building of Serbia's state-run television, which was seen as a bastion of power of former President Slobodan Milosevic. They could also be seen waving flags and attacking perceived allies of the former Yugoslav strongman.

Although new President Vojslav Kostunica condemned the violence, analysts say that taking control over the federal buildings was essential for the new leader to establish a power base and eventual takeover.

But the rage by Red Star fans on Saturday seemed off balance towards the supporters of Partizan for a simple reason: the troubles began when fans of Partizan started chanting for the resignation of their own clubs' directors, who are closely identified with former President Milosevic. After there were no more chairs and fireworks to throw, rival groups soon came to blows on the pitch, while hooligans attacked the fleeing players.

At a time of political instability and an appearant still lack of public orders,it took the riot police a long time Saturday to intervene and curb the worst of the violence. Outside the stadium,some of the crown were seen throwing rocks at the police,as Partizan fans retreated to the exits of the damaged stadium. It was expected to take some time before the football match would resume, in a country where politics can still lead to serious battles on the ground. (Signed)

NEB/PT