Thousands of fans, in black and white, have flocked this season regularly to the 18,300-capacity Stark Arena in Belgrade.

The team topped the Euroleague attendance list this season with “an average of 17,012 fans per game,” according to Basket News.

Known as the Grave Diggers due to the club’s colours, the team’s fans are fiercely loyal.

Their dedication this season was honored not only by Partizan reaching the knockout stage, but also by winning the Spanish home of Real Madrid, the record holder with the number of titles (10), in the first match of the first-round series on Tuesday.

They haven’t played a European knockout round match since the 2017 Basketball Champions League, and they haven’t won one since finishing fourth in the 2010 EuroLeague.

The basketball team is part of a sports club founded in 1945 that includes many teams, including one of the best football teams in Serbia.

The passion of the ultras in basketball is more common than in football, as they lead the crowd in thunderous chants and songs, while waving flags and scarves.

“We have the strongest ground advantage in Europe. I don’t think any team can compete with that,” French Partizan star Matthias Lesure told AFP.

“They help us on our land in an indescribable way,” he added.

After a difficult start to the season, Partizan turned things around and succeeded in qualifying for the playoffs, led by coach Zeljko Obradovic, who led the team to its only title in the Euroleague in 1992.

After coaching in Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey winning titles, Obradovic returned to Partizan in 2021 and revived the team and the passion of the fans.

ancient culture

“There is this connection with the huge support from the stands. Partizan fans have always been like that,” he told the media before the match once morest Real Madrid.

While Serbia has long been known for its fierce football culture, basketball also has deep roots in the country and arrived via an American Red Cross envoy a century ago.

After World War II, the government of socialist Yugoslavia invested generously in sports, including basketball, with courts in almost every neighborhood.

South East Europe continues to be a leading source and exporter of talent.

The richest European clubs and the NBA are seeking the services of Serbian players known for their toughness and ingenuity.

Nikola Jokic shone locally before moving to the American Denver Nuggets, which enabled him to win the NBA MVP award in the last two seasons.

With the departure of the Serbian players abroad, Partizan and its eternal rivals Red Star struggled for years and missed the Euroleague playoffs for a long time.

But Partizan also signs players from abroad. Among his top five Euroleague scorers this season are three Americans: Kevin Panter, Zack Leday and James Nannelli, as well as Australian Dante Exum and Loseur.

“We’ve been waiting for a long time. Partizan’s place in the Euroleague,” said Marco Pena, a 27-year-old fan, following the team’s victory over Greece’s Panathinaikos earlier this month.

“We will qualify for the golden square,” he added.