Red Star Belgrade are playing Manchester City in the Champions League group stages, but they have two different names
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Manchester City are preparing to face Red Star Belgrade in their opening Champions League group game of the 2023/24 campaign on Tuesday night - but why are their opponents also called Crvena zvezda?
From Serbia's capital city of Belgrade, Crvena zvezda are the most successful club from the country, having won 34 national championships, 27 national cups and even the 1991 European Championship.
Their full name, Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda, simply means Football Club Red Star when translated into English, and the fact they're from Belgrade means that anglophone media call them Red Star Belgrade. In Serbian, though, their proper club name is Crvena zvezda.
Red Star Belgrade are officially known as Crvena zvezda (Image credit: Getty Images)
Drawn into Group G of the Champions League, Crvena zvezda will face Manchester City, RB Leipzig and Young Boys across six games as they look to progress to the knockout stages of the competition.
Qualifying for the competition after winning their sixth consecutive title in the Serbian SuperLiga, Crvena zvezda went unbeaten in the league in 2022/23. However, they failed to reach the group stages of the Champions League after losing in the third qualifying round against Armenian side Pyunik.
Still, treble holders Manchester City aren't taking their opponents lightly. Pep Guardiola demands his players show them the same level of respect they'd expect, while also setting a high bar for them to achieve.
Manchester City are looking to retain their Champions League crown (Image credit: Getty Images)
"Every season we start the competition in the first game with the target to win the first game, then the group stage, then try to win the Champions League," Pep Guardiola said.
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"Nothing changes from before. The same for Red Star tomorrow [Tuesday]. It depends on our performance and our level. We're incredibly happy to defend this crown but this competition doesn't allow you mistakes.
"But always we were so strong at home, nine points from nine. When that happens you can win just one game away and you qualify. Tomorrow is the first step."
Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.
