FK Partizan president confirms Saša Ilić will remain head coach despite crisis

Source reporting: 19 October 2026. Added to ScoreTransfer on the publication date shown above.

FK Partizan president Rasim Ljajić confirmed that head coach Saša Ilić will remain in charge of the team. Ljajić stated that no one within the club is advocating for the dismissal of the coach.

The confirmation comes amid what Ljajić described as a serious crisis for the club. He identified issues with players, results, and discipline following the team's sixth defeat of the season.

Partizan recently suffered a defeat to FK Železničar Pančevo. Despite the loss, Ljajić noted that there were signs of improvement in the team's performance during that match.

Ljajić recalled that the club had previously asked Ilić to stay when the coach intended to leave. The president cited a desire not to destroy legends as a reason for keeping Ilić at the club.

The club has set a short-term goal to achieve a series of wins before the winter break. The aim is to improve their league position rather than targeting the title immediately.

Ljajić indicated that player departures are expected in January. He mentioned that there is existing interest from other clubs in some Partizan players.

FK Partizan issued a statement criticizing referee Stefan Jeknić. The club expressed dissatisfaction with their treatment by the Football Association of Serbia.

Ljajić also criticized the current state of refereeing reforms. He claimed that progress has reversed compared to the previous season under Domenico Messina.