European Leagues 
/ Jonathan Wilson / 05 April 2012 / Leave a Comment 
Friends in high places. Robert Prosinecki has a natter with Luis Figo.
"Prosinecki, in fact, showed little patience himself. Frustrated at the lack of progress after a year, he put 11 players on the transfer list. He promoted players from the youth ranks and reinvested most of what he made in sales."
Under Robert Prosinecki there have been plenty of changes at Crvena Zvezda. The title looks out of their reach this season but next year they look likely to put some serious on Partizan Belgrade, says Jonathan Wilson.
That should, really, be it. Crisis over - at least for now. As Crvena Zevdza closed the gap at the top of the Serbian League to six points, it did seem for a moment that they might be executing an improbable comeback, but Wednesday evening's results put paid to that.
Partizan were under pressure, particularly when Petar Skuletic gave third-placed Vojviodina Novi Sad a 29th minute lead, but Nemanja Tomic levelled early in the second half. As Vojvodina lost their discipline Zvonimir Vukic added two more either side of a Vladimir Volkov strike while the away side had Daniel Mojsov and Miroslav Vulicevic sent off.
At the same time as the leaders were winning 4-1, Zvezda were being held to a goalless draw at Radnicki Kragujevac. The gap now is eight points which, given they've dropped only seven points all season, looks insurmountable. That's why they're [1.11] to win the championship while Crvena Zvezda are [17.0]. Nothing is ever quite buying money, but this is as close as you're going to get.
And yet what is interesting is that there was a doubt - a minor one, for sure, but a doubt nonetheless. And it's a doubt that has a familiar, saggy face; that of Avram Grant. A month ago, Partizan's lead stood at 10 points. The momentum has shifted and that could make next season, for the first time in a long time in Serbian football, truly competitive.
It would be easy to knock Grant, but the issue is less why he was appointed than why there was a vacancy in the first place. Partizan began the season with a stutter, losing to Sloboda Point Sevojo and going out of the Champions League qualifiers to Shamrock Rovers. They won 13 in a row after that, but that wasn't enough for the club president, Dragan Djuric. He sniped constantly about the coach, Aleksandar Stanojevic and the director of football, Mladen Krastajic, and when they protested, they were fired.
The contrast with events at Zvezda is clear. Robert Prosinecki was appointed a year ago with Zvezda seemingly behind Partizan in every regard, something underlined when Partizan beat Zvezda both in the league and over two legs in the Cup semi-final. Other league results were good, but in Serbia they're meant to be.
Had Prosinecki not been a club legend, would he have been ousted? It's impossible to be sure, but probably - certainly after another derby defeat to Partisan this season and an emphatic exit from the Europa League at the hands of Rennes - serious questions would have been asked. But, for whatever reason, Zvezda's board showed patience and they are beginning to reap their reward.
Prosinecki, in fact, showed little patience himself. Frustrated at the lack of progress after a year, he put 11 players on the transfer list. He promoted players from the youth ranks and reinvested most of what he made in sales. In total, 14 players have left the club this season and 15 joined - and that's without counting loans deals of which there has been one in and 12 out.
It was a high-risk strategy, but it has brought six league wins in the last month. More than that, there is a sense of identity about the side now, and fans are always likely to be more supportive of teenaged locals than imports in their late twenties. But there's been little need for patience. Partizan's lead has been cut in the league, but by far the bigger result came in the Cup.
Perhaps Zvezda were lucky to win the first leg of their semi-final 2-0. Perhaps there were spells when Partizan were the better side. But Luka Milunovic and Luka Kasilica took the chances that came their way and there is talk of a changing of the guard. Zvezda face the second leg of their Cup semi-final at Partizan next Wednesday and then must face either Borak Cacak or Vojvodina in the final - which will be held in Vojvodina's stadium.
Zvezda won the Cup two years ago, but another success would help Prosinecki. And then, next season, there is the bigger task of ending Partizan's run of league success which should then stretch to five years.
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