Predrag Bojic fired from Serbian league

The recent troubles that have enveloped the Serbian League have taken a new twist as Superleague Director Predrag Bojic has been removed from his duties. The dismissal follows a few weeks of turmoil within Serbian Basketball and Bojic’s actions during the recent scandal drew the ire of Red Star Belgrade particularly, and Red Star proved instrumental as the driving force behind Bojic’s removal as Director.

The drama started when Predrag Bojic accused six Superleague clubs of failing to pay fees to the league. Bojic imposed a punishment on Sloboda Uzice, Metalac Valjevo, Red Star Belgrade, Vojvodina Novi Sad and Partizan Belgrade that would see all week 11 results from those teams forfeited to the opposition. Red Star Belgrade Director Nebojsa Covic reacted angrily to both the accusation of failed payment and the sanctions, while interestingly he said that is was actually the Superleague that owed Belgrade money:

“The league owes the club 409,500 dinars. The league knows about this; however I think this accusation by the league is in bad faith and to hide other things. The statement was malicious, and it shows that the clubs in the league are owed by the Director (Predrag Bojic) and by the League Office, not the other way around.”

“As for Red Star, it is claimed we owe 474,800 dinars. The club does not dispute 73,600 dinars, which Red Star Belgrade will pay.”

Despite the angry reaction from Red Star Belgrade, it was thought that the matter had come to a close last week when the clubs resolved the issue with the league. It was not stated whether the clubs paid all outstanding monies owed, but nevertheless the issue was closed and all round 11 matches were reinstated.

However, it seems that Red Star Belgrade and Nebojsa Covic were unwilling to let it lie, and it appears that the club laid the blame squarely on the shoulders of Predrag Bojic. The club drove an initiative to have the Director removed from his duties and a vote for the removal drew four votes to remove Bojic, one against his removal, and one abstained vote.

For Bojic’s removal were Red Star, Radnicki FMP, Vojvodina, and the Clubs Association and against was Partizan Belgrade. Radnicki Kragujevac was against the removal of Predrag Bojic as President Ivan Grujin said in a statement, but the club did not attend the vote.

“I did not attend the meeting because it was not on the agenda, so I sent a deputy who has no vote. The public say that I am against the dismissal. It is scandalous that a “yes” vote was reached.” – Ivan Grujin