Crvena zvezda suffered a string of disastrous defeats and did not even reach the end of the basketball season, and the trophy basketball player Vladimir Štimac commented on social networks:
"He destroyed everything in the state, now he is destroying mine." Star. "
The president of the club, Željko Drčelić, responded to that, stating that "in 2011, Štimac, while the club's account was blocked, claimed and collected his claims in the amount of 150 euros from the club, which today is allegedly being destroyed, through the court."
"Respecting everything that Vladimir Štimac did in his basketball career, playing both for Crvena zvezda and the national team - I cannot agree with the accusations that KK Crvena zvezda is being destroyed. That would put an end to this attempt to use the bad end of the season for some kind of daily political purposes," Drčelić wrote.
Regime businessman on infusion
Štimac, who for months has been actively supporting student protests and the efforts of disaffected citizens to force the government to hold new parliamentary elections, retaliated with a lengthy response on social networks.
"Mr. Drčelić, I don't know where you got the courage to write all this, but I know very well who encouraged you, the same one who created you, a regime businessman on infusion. Before you write something, you could check the facts. You have someone to get them from, you didn't come to that position because you have talent, knowledge or vision, but because Vučić put you there. You have no place in Red Star," wrote the former Serbian national team player and continued:
"As far as I'm concerned, I don't have to explain or brag about what I did for Zvezda, and what Zvezda was and remains for me. Your incompetence, together with enormous sums of money thrown away without meaning, led to one of the worst seasons in the club's history, worse than those when we didn't even have a bottle of water. And I, you know, was there then. You wouldn't have known where to turn then, let alone lead something."
He also commented on the accusations about the court case against Zvezda.
"I didn't buy salaries from the state and then resell them for ten times the amount. I have nothing to be ashamed of. I earned my money with talent and work. And some others, on rigged tenders and systemic corruption. I will not deepen this story further. No one mentioned you. But your boss obviously got angry and sent you to react urgently," he added.
Who is Željko Drčelić?
Few people are in favor. Željko Drčelić heard before he came to head the Crvena Zvezda Basketball Club in 2024. At the time, he told "Novosti" that "he is really not a man who likes to talk about himself."
"I will try to briefly introduce myself to the general public. I have been involved in professional sports in Germany and Serbia for over two decades. Later, almost 20 years ago, I founded a company in Germany and started a joint business and business with my godfather, which continues today, just like our godfather. What I am particularly proud of is that today this company is very successfully engaged in construction, just as it was on the first day, and for all these years it has expanded its business to Western and Eastern Europe. We also did business in the areas of the former Yugoslavia, later especially Montenegro, and I returned to my country in 2010. As a former athlete, but successful in my work, I tried to help without any media noise, where help was needed," he said in a big interview for "Novosti".
He helps many, but also gains a lot
He added that he is also helping FK FAP from Priboj, the city to which, "even though he was born in Belgrade, he is very attached and loves it", and where his parents come from. He also helps, he says, KK Radnički Beograd from Red Cross, and he is one of the founders and financiers of FC "Ole" in Borča, "run by his godfathers".
Drčelić's very successful construction company is "Concord West", which builds in cooperation with the state and has been getting numerous jobs for years, and which, on the other hand, many have heard of. It was engaged in the construction of a residential complex as part of the EXPO 2027 project. The company was also engaged in the construction of the football stadium "Kraljevica" in Zaječar, Leskovac and Loznica, for the construction of which a total of 11,8 billion dinars were spent. which the New Economy has already written about.
The list of jobs that the company received from the state is long. She was also involved in the construction of the "Tiršova 2" children's clinic, the construction of the Neurosurgery Clinic of the Clinical Center of Serbia, the reconstruction of the Museum of the City of Belgrade, the construction of the sports center Radnički na Zvezdara, the construction of the Day Center for developmentally disabled children and youth in Barajevo and many other facilities throughout Serbia. writes the New Economy.
"Concord West" is also the owner of a third of the company "Vrenje", which bought the Stara Šećerana complex. Drčelić owns at least 13 companies, and in March 2025 he sold half of his share in "Concord West".
