| Partizan await UEFA verdict after 11-1 rout of Zrinjski Partizan Belgrade crushed Zrinjski Mostar 11-1 on aggregate in a UEFA Cup first qualifying round tie, but the Serbian club's progress depends on whether UEFA lifts a one-year ban against them.
Partizan had been thrown out of the competition last month following a fan riot in the first leg in Bosnia but were allowed to continue after lodging an appeal against the verdict.
UEFA officials are set to decide on Partizan's fate on Aug. 10.
A Stevan Jovetic hat-trick and a goal apiece from Darko Maletic and Portuguese midfielder Moreira gave Partizan a 5-0 win in Thursday's incident-free return leg.
"We played some very good football and I hope UEFA allows us to carry on because we have shown that we are worthy contenders in the competition," Partizan coach Miroslav Djukic said.
UEFA said last month Zrinjski would go through to the second qualifying round if its appeals body upheld the ban on Partizan, which Serbian FA chief Zvezdan Terzic described as a "very likely outcome."
"Partizan deserves to be pardoned as we have finally shown to Europe that we can be civilised but I am afraid their chances of staying in the competition are slim," he said.
Zrinjski coach Blaz Sliskovic acknowledged there was a huge gulf in class between the two sides and added there should be only one winner.
"On football merits, Partizan absolutely deserved to go through and secure a berth in Friday's draw for the second qualifying round," he said. |