Bosko Gjurovski urges full Rajko Mitić for Red Star’s return leg with Hapoel Be'er Sheva

Bosko Gjurovski, the former head coach of North Macedonia and widely regarded football legend at home, has publicly urged supporters to fill Rajko Mitić Stadium for the Champions League third qualifying round return between Red Star Belgrade and Hapoel Be'er Sheva, scheduled for Tuesday.

Red Star arrive at the second leg under pressure after a 1–0 defeat in the first match, and Gjurovski said an intense home atmosphere could be decisive in overturning the tie.

“Proof that Red Star knows how to turn around a tie after a 1–0 defeat in the first match there are many examples. I'll give one. The one from 1980 against the team of Basel. In the rematch at 'Marakana' we secured a convincing 2–0 victory, which meant qualification onward,” Gjurovski said, adding that the club has a tradition of late comebacks.

Memories from Marakana

“I was young, and that was my first international match. When I came out of the tunnel, I could feel the Marakana shaking. That thunder coming from every side gives you a special energy and strength, you feel invincible. The atmosphere was incredibly tense because we had lost the first match away 1–0, but the energy of the crowd lifted us. We managed to win 2–0, and what impressed me most was the crowd; we could feel an incredible energy coming from the stands,” he added, recalling the sensation of emerging onto the pitch.

Gjurovski closed by appealing to the club's fans to turn the stadium into a force for the team on Tuesday at Rajko Mitić so Red Star can try to overturn the deficit and progress in the Champions League qualifiers.

Photo: press material from the event