Zenit of Saint Petersburg visited Belgrade to meet at the St Sava Church, following an invitation extended by Red Star Belgrade. The advance notice came through the press service in Saint Petersburg, transmitted via a Telegram channel.
According to the statement from the club’s press office, players and coaches, dressed in blue-white-blue, greeted the rector of the temple, who organized a guided tour for the visitors and led a moment of remembrance for the victims of the Crocus City Hall tragedy in Moscow. The rector’s representatives joined them as the group reflected on the recent events, creating a respectful and contemplative atmosphere.
On the evening of March 22, the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk was the scene of a terrorist attack during a concert. Reportedly, gunmen entered the venue before the performance of the visiting party, opened fire on the audience, and triggered a series of explosions followed by a fire. Coverage of those events was carried by various outlets, including social media channels that focused on live updates.
Zenit and Red Star are scheduled to meet in Belgrade on March 23, with kickoff set for 21:00 Moscow time. The planned friendly encounter will begin with a minute of silence in memory of the victims and all those affected by the tragedy.
Zenit currently leads the Russian Premier League table, having collected 40 points from 20 rounds. Sergei Semak’s squad will travel to face the Wings of Samara in the 21st round, a match scheduled for March 30 at 14:00 Moscow time.
Earlier, Roman Kostomarov offered condolences in response to the Crocus City Hall incident, joining others in paying tribute to those affected by the attack.