Zvezda trophy from Leipzig

In the preparatory period for the 2004/2005 season, Crvena Zvezda received an invitation to participate in the tournament in Leipzig. In addition to our club, Bruges, Werder and the host Saxony were also in the tournament. The Red and Whites finished the previous season as winners of the double crown of Serbia and Montenegro, so they traveled to Germany with great ambitions. The team led by Marko Pantelić, Boško Janković, Dušan Bast, Nikola Žigić was ready to cross the line with quality teams.

The first rival was Brugge, the then champion of Belgium, and the match was played on July 16, 2004. Ljupko Petrović's team took the lead in the 21st minute, while the scorer was Dušan Basta. In the 54th minute, Marko Perović outplayed the Belgians and doubled Red Star's lead. Just two minutes later, Stoica reduced our team's advantage. Dejan Milovanović put an end to this game, who in the 78th minute made the final score 3:1.

The final match was played a day later, on July 17, 2004. In the last game, the red and whites faced the cup winners and champions of Germany, the Werder team. In those years, the club from Bremen was considered one of the best teams in Europe. Red Star took an early advantage, and it was the 16th minute when Marko Pantelić found the back of the net for the German champions. Werder responded quickly, when the famous Miroslav Klose entered the scene, scoring two quick goals in just seven minutes. The advantage of the Germans did not last long, the 39th minute was played, when Zvezda's "nine" again shook the rival's net and set the final result in the regular part of the match at 2:2. The red and whites were better after the penalty shootout with 5:4, when reserve goalkeeper Zoran Banović managed to stop Magin's shot from eleven meters and bring the "Leipzig Trophy" into the showcases of our museum.