Sasa Ilic Offers to Quit Partizan for a Third Time
After losing to Cukaricki, the coach told the sporting director it was time for him to go. The board wants him to stay, and the club has issued no statement yet.
After the match at Humska, the coach did not appear in front of the television cameras or in the mixed zone. Assistant coach Velicko Kaplanovic spoke to reporters instead of Sasa Ilic, and the reason only emerged later: on Saturday evening Ilic told sporting director Radosav Petrovic that it was time for him to leave Partizan.
Petrovic told him to sleep on the decision. A meeting between the coach and the board is set for Sunday, October 25, and it should settle whether Ilic stays on the bench. As we reported on October 24, Partizan lost to Cukaricki 2-0 that night, and the coach made no statement.
What did Ilic tell the board?
According to sources close to the club, cited by Novosti, Partizan’s officials want Ilic to stay, but he believes he can no longer lift the team and that a change is due. Telegraf writes that the defeat to Cukaricki all but tipped him over, and that the conversation is still to come.
Sportski zurnal, as relayed by Max-Sport, reports that Ilic confirmed his decision with a short message when asked about his status, saying “Enough.” We could not verify that report against the original.
Sport Klub reports that he is closer to leaving this time than on the previous two occasions when he offered his resignation, and that nothing is final yet.
Third time in one season
This is the third resignation offer since Ilic took over the bench. The first came at the end of August, after a loss to Mladost in Lucani. The second came at halftime of the match with Radnik in Surdulica, which ended 4-4. Both times club officials persuaded him to stay, and Telegraf and Arena Sport report that the fans helped.
Sport Klub writes that the fans’ stance could be the only argument for Ilic to remain, but that it will probably come to nothing.
Ilic returned to the Partizan bench on June 8, 2026, when he signed a two-year contract. He is 48 and a former club captain.
Where does Partizan stand after 12 rounds?
Partizan is tenth in the Superliga with 11 points and seven defeats in 12 league matches, four of them at home. Telegraf cites 14 matches, while other sources count 12 league games. The run did not end after the international break:
- a win against Novi Pazar
- a loss to Zeleznicar (1-0)
- a loss to Cukaricki (2-0)
The black and whites are falling further behind in the race for European places. If Ilic goes, the board faces the task of finding, in the middle of autumn, a coach willing to take over a team sitting tenth, with players he did not choose.
What does the club say?
As of publication, there was no statement about the coach on the FK Partizan website, and Max-Sport reports that the club has not officially announced a parting. A decision is expected after today’s meeting between the coach and the board.
