The tunnel at the Rajko Mitić Stadium is not for the faint-hearted. Deep, concrete, and vibrating from the roar of the ‘Delije’ above, it is a rite of passage. Here, in this cauldron of noise and passion, Red Star Belgrade (Crvena Zvezda) forges its legends.
While the football world often fixates on the academies of Western Europe, this Balkan giant has quietly maintained a production line of elite talent for decades. The philosophy is simple: survive the fire of Belgrade, and you can conquer the world.
From the rugged leadership of Nemanja Vidić and the set-piece sorcery of the late Siniša Mihajlović, here are the top 10 graduates who conquered the world.
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1. Nemanja Vidić
No list of Red Star graduates is complete without Nemanja Vidić. He is the archetype of the Serbian defender: uncompromising, fearless, and a born leader. Joining the youth system at 15, Vidić quickly rose through the ranks to become the club captain.
By the time he left for Spartak Moscow at 22, he had already led Crvena zvezda to a domestic double. However, the world truly took notice when Sir Alex Ferguson brought him to Manchester United in 2006.
At Old Trafford, Vidić formed arguably the greatest defensive partnership in Premier League history alongside Rio Ferdinand. Five Premier League titles, a Champions League trophy, and a reputation as a player who would put his head where others wouldn’t put their feet – Vidić remains the gold standard of the Marakana academy.
2. Dejan Stanković
Before becoming an Inter Milan legend, Dejan Stanković was the wonderkid of Crvena zvezda. He made his senior debut at just 16 and quickly became the youngest captain in the club’s history at the time. A complete midfielder with a thunderous long-range shot, he was too good for the domestic league by his teenage years.
Lazio paid a massive fee to bring the 19-year-old to Serie A in 1998. Stanković went on to have a glorious career in Italy, culminating in the historic treble with Jose Mourinho’s Inter in 2010.
Stanković is the definition of the modern box-to-box midfielder, a player whose technical brilliance was matched only by his tactical intelligence – traits honed on the training pitches of Red Star Belgrade.
3. Robert Prosinečki
The story of Robert Prosinečki is one of football’s great “what ifs” for Dinamo Zagreb and a lottery win for Red Star. Rejected by Dinamo coach Miroslav Blažević – who famously said he would “eat his diploma” if Prosinečki ever became a player – the chain-smoking genius moved to Belgrade at 18.
What followed was pure magic. Prosinečki became the creative heartbeat of the Golden Generation that won the 1991 European Cup. His dribbling was hypnotic, and his vision was unparalleled.
At 22, he moved to Real Madrid, later becoming one of the few players to feature for both Real and Barcelona. He remains one of the most naturally gifted playmakers Eastern Europe has ever produced.
4. Siniša Mihajlović
Although starting at Vojvodina, the late great Siniša Mihajlović’s career went stratospheric after joining Red Star at 21. He was the final piece of the puzzle for the 1991 European Cup-winning squad, bringing a left foot that was less a limb and more a weapon of mass destruction.
Mihajlović redefined the role of a set-piece specialist. He remains one of the few players in history to score a hat-trick of free-kicks in a single Serie A game. After leaving Belgrade, he became a legend in Italy with Lazio and Inter.
Tragically passing away in 2022, Mihajlović left behind a legacy of warrior spirit and technical brilliance that perfectly embodies the Crvena zvezda identity.
5. Vladimir Jugović
Joining the academy at 15, Jugović was a tactically disciplined midfielder who could run all day. He was instrumental in the 1991 European Cup final against Marseille, neutralizing the French side’s midfield.
He left for Sampdoria at 22 and later joined Juventus, where he scored the winning penalty in the 1996 Champions League final. Jugović holds the rare distinction of being a European champion with two different clubs, a testament to the elite mentality instilled in him at Red Star.
6. Luka Jović
Representing the modern era of the academy, Luka Jović was a phenomenon at youth level. He broke Stanković’s record to become the youngest goalscorer in Red Star’s history. A predator in the box, Jović possessed an uncanny ability to finish with both feet and his head.
He was sold to Benfica at just 18 to balance the books – a common reality for the club today. Them his explosion at Eintracht Frankfurt led to a €60 million move to Real Madrid.
While his time in Spain and subsequent spell at AC Milan had their challenges, Jović remains a lethal finisher on his day. Now plying his trade at AEK Athens in Greece, he continues to be one of the most high-profile graduates of Crvena zvezda.
7. Marko Grujić
When Jurgen Klopp took over at Liverpool, the first player he personally called was not a Bundesliga star, but a 19-year-old midfielder from Belgrade. Marko Grujić, a tall, elegant midfielder who dominated the Serbian league, was Klopp’s first signing at Anfield.
While he couldn’t quite break into Liverpool’s Champions League-winning midfield, Grujić forged a successful career in the Bundesliga with Hertha Berlin and later became a key figure for FC Porto.
Currently, a nostalgic chapter is being written in Greece, where Grujić has reunited with his former teammate Luka Jović at AEK Athens.
8. Ivan Ilić
The sale of the Ilić brothers (Ivan and Luka) to Manchester City in 2017 highlighted the reach of modern scouting networks. Ivan Ilić was snapped up by Pep Guardiola’s side at just 16 years old.
Although he never played a senior game for City, the Red Star education served him well. He moved to Italy and has developed into one of the most exciting young midfielders in Serie A with Hellas Verona and now Torino.
A regular for the Serbian national team, Ilić is a technically gifted playmaker who controls the tempo of games.
9. Predrag Rajković
Rajković was given the captain’s armband at Red Star at just 18 years old – an immense responsibility at a club with such demanding fans.
He left for Maccabi Tel Aviv at 19 for a league-record fee for a goalkeeper. Since then, he proved to be one of the most consistent shot-stoppers in Europe’s top five leagues with Reims and Mallorca, before making a high-profile move to Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League in 2024.
10. Kosta Nedeljković
Kosta Nedeljković is the latest high-profile export. After just half a season of senior football, the energetic right-back convinced Unai Emery and Aston Villa to sign him in January 2024.
Fast, aggressive, and modern in his approach, Nedeljković proves that Red Star remains a relevant and vital source of talent for the Premier League. He follows in the footsteps of Vidić and Ivanović, ready to carry the torch for the next generation.
