Exclusive"Come a long way since 2014; Champions League allows us to grow" (S. Pantovic, Red Star Belgrade)

"We had a period of crisis between 2009 and 2014, with management reshuffles and lack of consistency in delivering results. Starting from 2014 our situation and strategy improved and our results both on and off the field started to pay off. We've come a long way since 2014. Now is the right time for us to set up a footing for organic growth, and the Champions League is the platform that allows us to do so," stated Stefan Pantovic, the chief operating officer of Red Star Belgrade, to News Tank Football on 10/12/2018.

"Clubs like ours need more big matches to play. We need to try and help clubs that are similar to us in terms of revenue, and there is a direct correlation between European competitions and financial stability, where to say stability is an understatement. We need this visibility, we need these games to stay competitive and stay motivated," added the Red Star Belgrade executive (COO since 2012) about the creation of a third European club competition.

"Clubs like Red Star need more access to European competition, and a third layer (cup) should help us with this. To repeat…