Initiative of the OPNZPS Association and More Than 25,000 Signatories Seeking the Resignation of the President of Partizan Basketball Club and Annulment of the Amendments to the Club's Statute—Request for the Partizan Sports Society to Endorse the Initiative and Refer the Matter to the Ministry of Sport

To the Secretary General of the Partizan Sports Society
Nedeljko Savić
Humska 1
11000 Belgrade Subject: Initiative of the OPNZPS Association and more than 25,000 signatories seeking the resignation of the president of Partizan Basketball Club and annulment of the amendments to the club's Statute—request for the Partizan Sports Society to endorse the initiative and refer the matter to the Ministry of Sport Dear Sir, We address you as the association of friends and supporters of the Partizan Sports Society, ‘From Partizan Nothing, For Partizan Everything’ (OPNZPS), and on behalf of more than 25,000 signatories to a petition requesting: 1. The resignation of Partizan Basketball Club president Ostoja Mijailović; 2. Annulment of the amendments to the Statute of Partizan Basketball Club, adopted contrary to the Sports Act and the principles of democratic governance. As the umbrella organisation of all sections of the Partizan Sports Society, you have both a moral and institutional duty to act whenever the reputation, legality and democratic functioning of one of its clubs are compromised. This is precisely the situation that has arisen at Partizan Basketball Club.

1. Disputed Amendments to the Statute—Violation of the Sports Act and Democratic Governance

The amendments to the Statute of Partizan Basketball Club were adopted without public scrutiny or transparent debate and in apparent violation of Articles 6, 7, 13, 14, 50–53 and 64 of the Sports Act. 1.1. Unacceptable Composition of the Assembly—Representative Balance Undermined The new Statute has resulted in:
  • eight of the 31 delegates—more than 25 per cent—being sponsors, often personally or professionally connected to the president;
  • a reduced number of athlete representatives;
  • only one seat being retained for supporters.
This gravely undermines the equal participation of the principal stakeholders in the sporting community—athletes, professionals and supporters—contrary to Articles 6 and 7 of the Act. The club's highest body is now dominated by sponsor representatives, often personally or professionally connected to the incumbent president. This concentrates decision-making power in the president's hands and creates the potential for abuse within the Assembly. 1.2. Excessive Concentration of Power in the Club President The new Statute allows the president to:
  • unilaterally dissolve the Assembly and Management Board;
  • do so by relying on subjective interpretations of immeasurable ‘declarative objectives of the club’.
This conflicts with Article 13 of the Sports Act on internal democracy, Articles 50–53 on the allocation and mutual oversight of powers, and fundamental principles of good governance. It creates an absurd situation: the Assembly that elects the president may be dissolved by that same president. This is both legally and logically impermissible. It is perhaps the most serious abuse introduced by the amendments. The Assembly, as the club's highest body, cannot be dissolved at an individual's discretion; its mandate may only be limited in time. These provisions could leave the club without its highest governing body through the arbitrary action of one person, contrary to the provisions and principles of the Sports Act. 1.3. Removal of Key Powers from the Assembly It is particularly concerning that the Assembly's right to appoint the club's director has been removed. This further erodes the democratic capacity of the club's highest body.

2. Consequences for the Club—Governance Crisis, Loss of Trust and Mass Resignations

The disputed changes have already led to:
  • the resignation of Željko Obradović, one of the greatest coaches in world basketball history;
  • the resignation of at least six Management Board members, demonstrating profound distrust in the governance system;
  • the public view among experts that these resignations were not ‘basketball-related’ but resulted from internal relations and the way the club was managed;
  • division among supporters and a dramatic collapse in confidence in the leadership.
Although Obradović accepted responsibility for results, the combination of his resignation and the mass resignations from the Management Board clearly indicates that the club has been driven into strategic and managerial instability.

3. Why the Partizan Sports Society Must Respond

Partizan Basketball Club is one of the symbolic pillars of the Sports Society. The crisis within the club damages the Society's reputation, undermines the stability of its sporting system, threatens the integrity and credibility of the entire Society, and distances athletes and supporters. Under Articles 72–74 of the Sports Act, the Partizan Sports Society has the right and duty to supervise the legality of its member clubs and take action when the principles of transparency, legality and democracy are violated.

4. Our Requests to the Partizan Sports Society

On behalf of OPNZPS and more than 25,000 signatories, we request that the Society: 1. Publicly support the initiative to remove Partizan Basketball Club president Ostoja Mijailović, given that his continued tenure is incompatible with democratic, lawful, transparent and stable governance. 2. Support the initiative to annul the unlawfully adopted amendments to the Statute of Partizan Basketball Club, in accordance with Articles 34, 41 and 64 of the Sports Act, and refer the matter to the Ministry of Sport. 3. Initiate internal supervision of the legality of Partizan Basketball Club's operations under Articles 72–74 of the Sports Act. 4. Support the restoration of democratic order within the club by:
  • increasing supporter representation in governing bodies;
  • restoring the role and number of athletes and sports professionals in the Assembly;
  • repealing the disputed provisions that allow the club president to dissolve arbitrarily the Assembly that elected him;
  • introducing regular, publicly available financial reports and independent audits.
5. Adopt an official position on the situation at Partizan Basketball Club as the organisation responsible for sporting ethics, accountability and transparency across all its sections.

5. Final Remarks and Reasons for Urgency

Our objective is not conflict, politicisation or destabilisation, but the protection of Partizan's values, the restoration of democratic and lawful processes, stabilisation after a massive loss of confidence, and preservation of sporting integrity and future development. Removing the president and annulling the disputed amendments are the only realistic means of restoring stability and trust. We expect the Partizan Sports Society, as the umbrella organisation, to support the supporters' initiative and officially submit the matter—together with the list of more than 25,000 signatories—to the Ministry of Sport for action. Confident that you will act in accordance with the principles defended by the Partizan Sports Society for more than eight decades, we extend our sporting regards. Respectfully,
Željko Savović
President of the OPNZPS Association
On behalf of the petition signatories (25,000+)
Belgrade, 8 December 2025 STATEMENT PDF← Back to Initiatives