Milosevic expects passioante but fair support when Partizan face Manchester United

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SHOWS: BELGRADE, SERBIA (OCTOBER 23, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. PARTIZAN BELGRADE COACH SAVO MILOSEVIC AND MIDFIELDER SASA ZDJELAR ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE AND SITTING DOWN

2. MEDIA

3. (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) SAVO MILOSEVIC, PARTIZAN BELGRADE COACH, SAYING:

"I expect our fans to support us in a fair manner and in the spirit of the sport. I think our fans are aware of the importance of the game and are also aware of the problems we have had in the past. This will be a celebration of football and I really don't expect any problems in that regard, but I expect big support from our fans which will be an important stimulant for the team."

4. MEDIA

5. (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) SAVO MILOSEVIC, PARTIZAN BELGRADE COACH, SAYING:

"You saw the basketball match yesterday in Pionir (sports hall) and you could see how much the crowd can do for the team, and how much of that extra stimulant they can give to the team.

"Even a little support from the supporters means a lot to the players on the pitch and we expect support from our fans tomorrow."

6. COACH IN CAMERA DISPLAY

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) SAVO MILOSEVIC, PARTIZAN BELGRADE COACH, SAYING:

"We have the utmost respect for the great rival and a great club and great players, but we don't fear them. That is the most direct answer to your question. What Red Star Belgrade (Serbian team who beat Liverpool 2-0 in last year's competition) did last year against Liverpool was nothing short of a miracle, but you know they (miracles) don't happen very often."

8. MEDIA

9. NEWS CONFERENCE ENDING

10. PARTIZAN PLAYERS WALKING TOWARDS TRAINING PITCH

11. PLAYERS WALKING, SOME CARRYING BOXES WITH WATER

12. TWO EUROPA LEAGUE BALLS IN FOREGROUND, PLAYERS TRAINING IN BACKGROUND

13. MIDFIELDER TAKUMA ASANO KICKING BALL ON PITCH

14. GROUP OF PLAYERS TRAINING ON PITCH

15. MEDIA

16. GROUP OF PLAYERS TRAINING, PASSING BALL

17. PLAYERS TRAINING

18. MEDIA

19. ASANO RUNNING

20. PLAYERS LEGS, PLAYERS STRETCHING

21. ASSISTANT COACHES LOOKING ON

22. PLAYERS TRAINING ON PITCH

STORY: Partizan Belgrade fans must be on their best behaviour while supporting their team against Manchester United in their Europa League Group L clash on Thursday (October 23), the Serbian side's coach Savo Milosevic said.

Serbian football has been rife with violence and racism in the last three decades following the former Yugoslavia's bloody break-up and Partizan have played two games in this season's Europa League behind closed doors due to crowd trouble.

The clash against United will be played under tight security as hundreds of visiting fans are expected to make the trip to the cauldron of Partizan stadium in Serbia's capital.

Partizan top the group with four points from two games, ahead of United on goals scored. Third-placed AZ Alkmaar have two points and bottom team Astana none.

Milosevic, who won the 1996 English League Cup with Villa, acknowledged Partizan faced a tall order against the club Partizan beat 2-1 on aggregate in the 1966 European Cup semi-finals.

Partizan lost the 1966 final to Real Madrid 2-1 and Red Star won European soccer's most prestigious club competition in 1991.

(Production: Andy Ragg)