On December 8, 1991, the Intercontinental Championship was played at the National Stadium in Tokyo. Opposite is Vladica Popovic’s Red Star, fresh winner of the Champions Cup at the San Nicola di Bari (against Olympique Marseille), at the Colo Colo of Mirko Jozic, a Croatian coach who would very much like to trip up the Serbs. Because the year is quite central in the history of the Balkans, with the beginning of the various wars of independence. That of Slovenia, like that of Croatia, started from a Red Star-Dinamo Zagreb match in which Boban kicked a policeman. Yugoslavia is a powder keg ready to explode.
In 1989 the history of Europe changed with the fall of the Berlin Wall. No Eastern European team has yet won an Intercontinental Cup. Iordănescu’s Bucharest Steaua had tried in 1986, facing River Plate in Tokyo and losing 1-0 thanks to a goal by Alzamendi. So there are Savicevic, Jugovic, Pancev, Belodedici and Mihajlovic trying.
At the time the difference between European and South American clubs was not so marked. Red Star only took a bite out of the Chileans thanks to a brace from Jugovic, the best player of the final, and Pancev for the final 3-0. At the final whistle, Red Star is in history: after the dissolution of the wall and at the dawn of the internal wars that will crumble Yugoslavia, a team from Eastern Europe is world champion.
Red Star-Colo Colo 3-0
Markers: Jugovic 19′ and 58′, Pancev 72′.
Red Star
Milojevic; Najdoski, Belodedici, Vasiljievic; Radinovic, Radkovc, Jugovic, Stosic, Mihajlovic; Savicevic, Pancev.
Trainer: Vladica Popovic.
Colo Colo
Moron; Garrido, Margas, Ramirez (60′ Rubio); Mendoza, Salvatierra (65′ Dabrowski), Pizarro, Vilches; Barticciotto, Yanez, Martinez.
Trainer: Mirko Jozic