28 years since last competitive meeting with Crvena Zvezda

FC Barcelona are about to cross paths again with one of the most iconic teams from Eastern Europe, Crvena Zvezda, also known as Red Star Belgrade. The Catalans and Serbs they played nine times in UEFA competitions over the years, but never in the Champions League, or European Cup as it was before. And it is 28 years since they met at all, although they have played a couple of friendlies since their last meeting on 31 October 1996, when despite the breakaways of four new republics, their country was still known as Yugoslavia.

First meetings

1961/62 Fairs Cup semi final
Red Star 0-2 Barça
Barça 4-1 Red Star

1962/63 Fairs Cup round of 16
Red Star 3-2 Barça
Barça 1-0 Red Star
Red Star 1-0 Barça (play off in Nice)

The first ever meetings between the sides were in two consecutive editions of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in the early sixties. In the 1962 semi-finals, two late goals from Zaldúa and Pereda earned a win in Belgrade, and Kocsis, Zaldúa (2) and González (pen) rounded off a 6-1 aggregate win at Camp Nou. Barça thus advanced to the final, which they would lose to fellow Liga club Valencia.

Things were a lot tighter when they met later that same year in the early rounds of the next edition of the same competition. Although Cubilla and Villaverde put Barça into a 2-0 lead in Belgrade, they'd end up losing 3-2. The Catalans were heading out of the competition until the Uruguayan Cubilla netted four minutes from time at Camp Nou, levelling the tie at 3-3. There were no away goals or even penalties in those days, and instead the teams had to meet two weeks later in a playoff at a neutral venue, Nice in France, and Red Star won that game 1-0. Barça were out.

Familiar faces in early 80s

1981 Friendly
Barça 2-2 Red Star
    
1982 Costa Verde Trophy in Gijon
Barça 0-1 Red Star

1982/83 Cup Winners Cup round of 16
Red Star 2-4 Barça
Barça 3-1 Red Star

Two decades would pass without the teams meeting again, and then they met several times in rapid succession. Following two friendlies, with one win for each side, they were drawn together in the old Cup Winners Cup.

Barça won in Belgrade with two goals each from two legends, Diego Maradona and Bernd Schuster. One of the Argentinian's goals that day is still remembered today as one of his finest. Schuster scored again in the return, with Alexanko getting the other, and Barça advanced to the quarter finals, where they'd be knocked out by Austria Vienna. 

Last meetings

1996/97 Cup Winners Cup round of 16
Barça 3-1 Red Star
Red Star 1-1 Barça

1998 Friendly in La Linea
Barça 4-1 Red Star

2002 Gamper Trophy
Barça 1-0 Red Star

The last competitive game between the teams came in Bobby Robson's only season in charge, in the Cup Winners Cup that the Catalans would eventually win. This was just five years after Red Star had won the European Cup, but most of the legends of that era had since moved on, while Barça, also recent champions in 1992, were rebuilding after the Dream Team era. Despite going 1-0 down at home, Barça eventually won 3-1 with goals from Giovanni (2) and Luis Figo. Red Star got back within a goal in Belgrade, but just a minute later Giovanni  was on target again and Barça went on to win 4-2 on aggregate.

Two years later, the teams would meet in a preseason friendly in La Linea in Southern Spain, and then in 2002, Red Star were the guests at the Gamper Trophy, Barça winning that thanks to a goal from Brazilian Fábio Rochemback.