South Korean soccer international Hwang In-beom (27, Zvezda, Zvezda) was subjected to an outrageous attack by Nenad Jestrovic (47, Serbia), the top scorer in the 2004-05 Belgian first division. Local media strongly criticized the incident, saying that the excuse that it was unintentional did not work.
Zrvena Zvezda (Serbia) lost 1-2 at home to Leipzig (Germany) in the fourth leg of their 2023-24 UEFA Champions League round of 32 Group G match. Nenad Jestrovic, appearing on a review program, incorrectly referred to Hwang In-bum as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The Serbian newspaper Danas wrote, “Former footballer Nenad Jestrovic made an unintentional mistake by insulting Hwang In-bum. Racism through a TV channel.”
Danas is a 26-year-old Serbian progressive newspaper that is pro-social democracy, pro-EU accession, and pro-human rights and minority protection. 토토사이트
Nenad Jestrovic said, “I still don’t have a good chemistry with my teammate Tsvetana Zvezda. It seems to be a bit of a hindrance (rather than a help) to the team’s performance,” he said, referring to Hwang In-beom as Kim Jong-un in the course of commenting on his performance against Leipzig.
“Maybe he wanted to criticize Hwang In-bum because he is a foreigner (not a Serbian player), and it was broadcast live on TV and spread around the world through social networking services (SNS),” said ‘Danas’, adding that he wondered if Nenad Jestrovic really made a ‘mistake’.
Serbia is ranked 16th in the European League, while Germany is fourth. In the European Club Rankings, Tsrvena Zvezda are 45th and Leipzig are 8th. The 1-2 loss is disappointing, but it’s not a result that can be called a failure.
“You can excuse it as a ‘mistake’ in a live situation, but Nenad Jestrovic cannot escape criticism for his lack of professionalism as a football broadcaster, and even for being disrespectful to his viewers,” wrote Danas.
Tsrvena Zvezda paid Olympiakos (Greece) €5.5 million (approx. KRW 7.9 billion) for Hwang In-bum in the summer transfer window, the highest investment in the history of the Serbian top flight. His contract runs until June 2027.
Nenad Yestrovic didn’t even know the name of his country’s professional soccer transfer record holder. It’s worth emphasizing that “Danas” called it “an amateurish error that a professional commentator shouldn’t make and a disrespect to the viewers.
Serbia is a country that has produced active sports superstars such as the 2021-2022 NBA Most Valuable Player, Nikola Jokic (28, Denver Nuggets), and Novak Djokovic (36), the men’s tennis singles GOAT (Greatest Of All Time).
“You can’t just laugh at them,” says Danas. Nenad Jestrowicz is in serious trouble. If an American broadcaster had misnamed Novak Djokovic or Nikola Jokic on live television, would Serbs have stood by?” he asks.
“Imagine the furor in Serbian public opinion if Nikola Jokic and Novak Djokovic had been racially abused by an American commentator,” Danas hypothesized, comparing the damage done by the Yellow Peril to today, when “the names of war criminals from Yugoslavia are not remembered and are not considered acceptable.”
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, founded in 1943, dissolved in 1992, splitting into Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Slovenia, and Croatia. The wars that followed were characterized by violence and ethnic cleansing.
“Danas” likens “calling Tsubena Zvezda midfielder Hwang In-bum to Kim Jong-un, the leader of the world’s most closed state,” to saying the name of a war criminal who shouldn’t be mentioned.
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