Red Star Belgrade and Manchester City have each won one Champions League trophy, yet are two football clubs with very distinct histories.
Red Star Belgrade, also known as Crvena Zvezda, holds a special place in the hearts of Serbian football fans. The club's rich history includes their historic European Cup triumph in 1991, where they beat Marseille on penalties. They are the only Serbian team to have ever won the competition, with players like Dejan Savićević etching their names into the folklore of the sport.
The club, once synonymous with success, finally returned to the UEFA Champions League in the 2017/18 season, following a 26-year absence from the competition. Their fervent support is legendary, creating an electrifying atmosphere at the Rajko Mitić Stadium, often referred to as the "Marakana."
Their opponents, Manchester City, have experienced a modern transformation fueled by significant investments. Under the ownership of Sheikh Mansour, the club has become a dominant force in English football, winning the Premier League title on multiple occasions.
The pinnacle of Manchester City’s success came in the 2022/23 season when they matched Red Star Belgrade’s achievement by securing their first UEFA Champions League trophy. Pep Guardiola masterminded the historic treble, defeating Inter Milan 1-0 in the final. Until recently, Manchester City were a club in the shadows of their local rivals Manchester United. In fact, prior to 2011, Manchester City had never won a match in Europe’s elite club competition.
Red Star Belgrade vs Manchester City Head to Head
Red Star Belgrade have faced Man United, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Spurs, but had never come up against Manchester City before the 2023/24 Champions League group stage. The two teams were drawn together in a group with RB Leipzig and Young Boys.
Fans who want to attend their upcoming encounter can buy Red Star Belgrade vs Manchester City tickets with just a few clicks on SeatPick.
Red Star Belgrade vs Manchester City Connections
Manchester City legend Aleksandar Kolarov never played a game for Red Star Belgrade, but he was once part of the club’s youth academy. In the summer that Kolarov left Manchester, in 2017, Manchester City paid Red Star Belgrade €5m to sign teenage brothers Luka Ilic and Ivan Ilic. Neither player made an appearance in England.
