The young talent from Rocafonda is set to play his second match at the Rajko Mitic Stadium in Belgrade, known as the ‘Little Maracanã’.
Barcelona heads to Serbia this Tuesday for the fourth matchday of the Champions League group stage. Their opponents will be Red Star Belgrade, a historic side in European football that won their only European Cup in 1991, a year before Johan Cruyff’s Dream Team lifted the trophy. The war that fractured former Yugoslavia marked a turning point for Balkan football, which has not regained its former potential since. Nevertheless, the history of football in this region persists, and the blaugrana will visit the Rajko Mitic, affectionately dubbed the ‘Little Maracanã’.
This nickname comes from its resemblance to the iconic stadium in Rio de Janeiro due to its capacity. In fact, it has hosted matches with over 100,000 spectators in attendance, one notable derby against Partizan Belgrade being a standout occasion. It remains one of the continent’s fiercest urban rivalries. Even today, the ‘Marakaná’, as the Serbs call it, is a more modern stadium with a capacity of 51,755.
For some players under Hansi Flick, this will be their first visit to the Rajko Mitic, but several already have experience playing there with the Spanish national team. Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, and Pedri are among them. Ferran Torres also has the experience but is sidelined with injury. All these players participated in the UEFA Nations League last September, where they faced Serbia in a match that ended in a goalless draw. Against Red Star, who currently lead the Serbian Super Liga solidly, they will have another chance to secure a victory, as Vladan Milojevic’s side still seeks their first points in the Champions League.
Lamine Yamal, on his way to becoming a footballing legend, will aim to showcase his immense talent in the same pitch where 42 years ago Diego Armando Maradona scored what many consider his best goal while wearing the Barça jersey. It was on October 20, 1982, in the UEFA Cup’s round of 16, with Udo Lattek as the coach and Bernd Schuster and the great ‘Pelusa’ as the stars of that team.
On a pitch that resembled a potato field, Maradona enchanted the crowd with a magical strike, running alongside ‘Lobo’ Carrasco, receiving his pass, dancing past defenders, and unleashing an unbelievable chip from the edge of the area. The move was so extraordinary that the home supporters rose to applaud the Argentine. The recognition did not stop there; the Serbians also stood to give a standing ovation to the ’10’ after the match.
Diego himself acknowledged, “It was one of the best goals of my career, and I thank the fans for their gesture; I love to create things.” This Wednesday, the ‘Little Maracanã’ will welcome another special left foot, the 17-year-old Lamine Yamal, who has already made a name for himself in Europe by winning the UEFA European Championship and representing Barça.
