The capital of Serbia is a city that lives and breathes basketball and when Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade and its archrival Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade meet on the shiny stage of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, the sports world pays attention.
It is a rivalry that words cannot really describe. When asked to try, Partizan head coach Zeljko Obradovic explained: "You need to come to understand really this."
Partizan star Kevin Punter, who played for Zvezda during the 2019-20 season, said: "It’s amazing. It’s hard to describe. Obviously, people see it on television and things like that, but I feel it’s something you have to physically be there to really understand what I’m saying."
Nemanja Nedovic of Zvezda etched his name into the history books with the game-winner in the first EuroLeague derby between these teams last season.
"It’s really crazy," Nedovic added. "Sometimes you can't hear yourself think. I think every player who plays this game loves to play those atmospheres and enjoys it more. It's a special feeling."
"This is your country, your people," Nedovic's backcourt mate Milos Teodosic said. "This is the team I was cheering for since I was born, so the emotions are even bigger playing for Red Star."
Words cannot explain the derby of Belgrade. If you can’t be at Stark Arena on Thursday night, you had better tune in on television to get a glimpse of this spectacle.