Red Star sell their young talent but still have to win every season: “It’s a paradox”
PR | As Red Star’s technical director, Marko Marin is responsible for balancing player sales with the demand to win.
The Recap
Red Star must sell players to fund a team expected to win the Serbian league and qualify for Europe every season, says technical director Marko Marin.
Data Insight
The club brought in €161.9 million from transfers and spent €73.6 million over the last five seasons, generating a surplus of around €88 million.
Why It Matters
Transfer income and European competition accounted for around 75–80 per cent of Red Star’s budget last season, leaving the club with little protection if either source of income falls short.
The Perspective
Red Star’s model reflects the conditions now facing leading clubs in smaller and mid-sized markets, where domestic income alone cannot fund European ambitions.
28 October 2026 - 1:19 PM
In recent seasons, Red Star Belgrade have sold a string of young players, including teenagers, to clubs in Europe’s biggest leagues for significant fees. Their sales have brought in another €32.3 million this summer. They have also won the Serbian league nine seasons in a row.
For a club like Red Star, that is the job. They won the European Cup, the predecessor to today’s Champions League, in 1991 and remain one of the great names of Eastern European football, with s
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