Red Star "shamefully" and "miserably" advances past Estonians

Red Star on Wednesday barely squeezed past the Estonian champions, Levadia Tallinn, on a 2-2 aggregate, to face the Glasgow Rangers in the final round of qualifications for the League group stage.

 Reporters generally estimate that the Serbs were lucky to lose just 2-1 at Tallinn and advance owing to the first-leg 1-0 win.

 "How will you face Rangers?" "Red Star you're miserable, don't go to Glasgow," "Survivors" and "Shame!" are some of the headlines above the equally bitter reports and comments.

 The hosts led 1-0 and 2-1 and swarmed Red Star's goal in the better part of the second half with chances to win and eliminate the much better-known opponents.

 "The panic is best reflected in the dilettante decision of coach (Bosko) Djurovski to pull ... into full defence and shake in fear against anonymous Estonians," the daily Press said.

 "The players have shown no confidence at all. I prayed to God not to allow a goal against us during the last 20 minutes," the mass-circulation Vecernje Novosti quoted Djurovski as saying.

  In 1990-91, en route to its European and world club titles in 1991, Red Star defeated Rangers in the second round.

 The first leg of the qualifier against the Scots takes place Tuesday in Glasgow.

 Red Star's weak showing capped an already bad week for Serbian football, in which the country's only other major side, Partizan Belgrade, was banned from the UEFA cup because of its hooligan fans.

DPA