"Shame, classless": Abu Fani and Red Star players continue to face criticism

Serbian media did not spare the Red Star Belgrade players following the 2-0 home loss to Hapoel Be'er Sheva and the early exit from the Champions League. This failure joined a series of embarrassing exits for the Serbian champion, especially during both of Dejan Stankovic's tenures, whose status is now shaken once again.

Contrary to custom, none of the players came to speak with journalists in the Marakana mixed zone. "Losses are an integral part of sport, but in this case, the Red Star players simply disappeared in a shameful manner and did not address the situation, leaving the public and the fans without an explanation, without justification, and even without an apology for the anemic performance," was written in "Sportal" about the event. "It is hard to describe this move as anything other than classless."

Mohammed Abu Fani, who was sent off in stoppage time, also received quite a bit of criticism: "He has contributed nothing since he arrived. He was weak in the first game before being substituted at halftime, and perhaps even more so this time as a substitute."

At the center of attention was Marko Arnautovic, the highest-paid player in Red Star's history. "He is a shadow of himself," was written about the 37-year-old Austrian striker. "The most experienced of them all, the one considered the team leader, is one of the biggest disappointments. In both matches against Hapoel Be'er Sheva, he looked slow, heavy, lacking confidence, and not dangerous. He does not look like a player who only recently scored three goals in the World Cup."