The 1991 European Cup final was a football match held at the Stadio San Nicola in Bari, Italy, on 29 May 1991, that saw Red Star Belgrade of Yugoslavia[a] defeat Marseille of France in a penalty shoot-out. After normal time and extra time could not separate the two sides, the match was to be decided on penalty kicks. Manuel Amoros's miss for the French side proved crucial, as Red Star held their nerve to win their first and, as of 2024, only European Cup.
Red Star arrived in Italy unusually early, on Thursday, 23 May 1991, six full days ahead of the final. The team set up base in the town of Monopoli, 40 kilometres (25 mi) south-east of Bari. There they stayed in Il Melograno Hotel, an isolated accommodation on the town outskirts, and trained at the facilities of AC Monopoli.[3] Due to a lot of interest from richer European clubs already being raised for the future services of young Red Star players, the club management tried to ensure its footballers were fully focused on the task at hand. The players were placed in semi-quarantine immediately upon arrival in Italy, which meant being separated from wives and girlfriends without the ability to receive incoming phone calls in hotel rooms, though able to make outgoing calls.[4]
Over the coming days, the club also organized for a large entourage consisting of club legends, friends of the club, etc., to arrive in Bari in order to watch Red Star in its first European Cup final. Therefore, notable former players Rajko Mitić, Dragoslav Šekularac, Srđan Mrkušić, Stanislav Karasi, and Živorad Jevtić, former coach Miša Pavić, and several Serbian celebrities and personalities such as Ljuba Tadić, Ivan Bekjarev, and Bora Đorđević, all made their way to Italy.[5]