German referee sparks another fit of rage! Former Eintracht Frankfurt coach Albert Riera suspects a conspiracy
Albert Riera is known for not mincing his words. The former Eintracht Frankfurt coach has once again attracted attention with an angry outburst. He even suspects a conspiracy.
Riera, now coach of Red Star Belgrade after his brief spell on the Main, blamed German referee Florian Badstübner for a 3-2 Conference League defeat to FC Lugano, despite his side twice taking the lead. He took particular issue with the penalty Badstübner awarded after substitute Mahmudu Bajo held Beckham Castro shortly before the end of the match. It led to the Swiss side's winning goal.
"I don't want to congratulate Lugano," Riera said after his team's defeat, adding: "I don't want to be suspended, but I demand that the club investigate what is happening to us. Because of the penalties, we are not playing in the Europa League. I will not talk about football." He also fumed: "This is my club, I want to take part in competitions. Perhaps UEFA don't want us in Europe? Then they should say why."
Six points clear of their rivals in the Serbian league, Red Star are on course for the domestic title. Europe has been a different story under Riera, and that record is at the heart of his frustration.
Red Star Belgrade squander 3-0 first-leg lead under Albert Riera
Before Riera took charge, Hapoel Beer Sheva had knocked Belgrade out in the third round of Champions League qualifying, prompting his predecessor Dejan Stankovic to step down. It showed how heavily European results weigh on a coach in the Serbian capital. After Riera arrived, Red Star suffered another qualifying exit, this time against Viktoria Pilsen in the Europa League. They won the first leg 3-0, then lost the return 5-1 after extra time, with two penalties among the goals.
With a shorter league phase than the two bigger competitions, the Conference League has left Red Star with no points after their opening defeat. Riera nevertheless felt his side had been the better team for long stretches in Lugano. "In certain phases of the game, we produced a masterclass. There was only one team on the pitch," said the 44-year-old, who was "of course not satisfied" with the result. "We were not in good physical shape, I can say that. But it also hurts that the referees have now disadvantaged us in Europe for two games. I am frustrated and disappointed, but I am satisfied with my boys' performance."
Although Belgrade controlled the match, Lugano had numerous attempts: 18 shots and an xGoals figure of 2.29 to 1.23.
Albert Riera receives job guarantee as boss declares Red Star Belgrade champions
General director Zvezdan Terzic backed Riera after the defeat. "I can't remember the last time we produced a game as high-quality and dominant as this one. No matter who the opponents are, this is how Red Star should always play," he said, adding: "For years we have talked about wanting the Spanish style of football, with lots of passing, attacking play and high pressing, and we had all of that too."
Terzic also described the current season, "quite cheekily and arrogantly", as preparation for the 2026/27 Champions League qualifiers. After just eleven rounds of matches in the Serbian league, he declared: "We are already champions." FC Copenhagen await in the Conference League next Thursday, but Riera's job does not hinge on that result. "Our stance towards Riera will not change, even if we lose to Copenhagen," Terzic made clear.
Albert Riera failed badly at Eintracht Frankfurt
Riera is highly satisfied with the players at his disposal, according to Terzic: "When we were negotiating a month ago, he said he would not want to swap Red Star's squad for Eintracht Frankfurt's. That means he is very satisfied with the players he has." Aleksandar Katai appears to be an exception: Riera recently suspended the 35-year-old, who has played 328 games for Belgrade and scored 160 goals.
At Frankfurt, Riera repeatedly rubbed people up the wrong way and publicly criticised his own players. He also temporarily dropped senior players such as Mario Götze and Jonathan Burkardt. After just four wins in 14 games and a failure to qualify for European competition, the Frankfurt club parted ways with Riera, who then lashed out at SGE officials Axel Hellmann and Markus Krösche.
