The Warlord Owner of a Champions League club

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Željko “Arkan” Ražnatović began life as the son of a high-ranking colonel in the air force. By 14 he was pickpocketing. And by the time he owned a Champions League club, he was an infamous fugitive, bank robber, drug trafficker, assassin, politician, prison escapologist, ultra-leader, sweet shop owner and, finally, warlord.
This is his, scarcely believable, story.
Written by James Montague, illustrated by Alice Devine.
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Tifo loves football. We create In-depth tactical, historical and geopolitical breakdowns of the beautiful game.
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Additional footage sourced from freestockfootagearchive.com
#ChampionsLeague #Serbia #Football

[@nnannamba2643]

Every three minutes, you somehow hear something more shocking...and when you believe you've heard it all, you hear something that further shocks.

[@duran9664]

🔥FACT🔥 There is not much difference between Zeljko Raznatovic (Arkan) & the true current owner of Newcastle United🤏

[@theghostofbabanovac7069]

Sure if you believe in Tifo's fairy tales

[@MFachrizalR]

Why on earth the story of this video is so outrageous that you can respond every single line with, "...what? Wait, what??"

[@ditik2795]

As a Balkan person, it ain't even surprising😂

[@darthvader4338]

Bro the Balkans are legendary 😂

[@AdamOBrien29]

He shunned alcohol, tobacco and drugs 😮 wish I had this chaps discipline

[@madaxwayne]

@@AdamOBrien29 and took up crimes against humanity instead lol what a loony

[@duran9664]

🔥FACT🔥 There is not much difference between Zeljko Raznatovic (Arkan) & the true current owner of Newcastle United🤏

[@98Hogsmeade]

Tifo rarely misses. What a great video.

[@AdamOBrien29]

The best football channel on the platform hands down

[@haimainjauo242]

Should have tied it back to Manchester City and Newcastle since their owners are technically evil warlords as well. And they're holding English football and fair, honest competition hostage RIGHT NOW

[@8shounak]

Perfectly put. Always insightful

[@alex.7638]

Never biased just factual

[@darragho6358]

James Montague never misses i recommend all his books. He wrote this script the hong kong one and msny others for tifo

[@mell91349]

Criminal warlords still own premier league clubs, just became more discreet and sophisticated

[@SZY_]

factos

[@bautistalasheras3410]

I wouldn’t even say discreet. Everyone knows. People just look the other way cause it suits them.

[@duran9664]

🔥FACT🔥 There is not much difference between Zeljko Raznatovic (Arkan) & the true current owner of Newcastle United🤏

[@doncorleole2356]

They even won five out of the last six premier leagues

[@playthegame7445]

London is the biggest money laundering hub in the world, Why u people think so much money is invested in EPL

[@monkeykong5313]

Lazio ultras famously paid tribute to him when he died They had a banner that said - “Honor to the Tiger, Arkan”. Sinisa Mihajlovic begged them not to do it but they did anyway. A week later Juventus fans had a banner that said - “Honor to the cat, Silvester”

[@AmanKumar-gq2qy]

If you ask Italians journalist about him, they will call him a good personality as he supported Italy. So perception differs from country to country

[@JoshuaKimbrough]

Lazio Never fails to be despicable lol

[@AlAyad1996]

Wrong. Sinisa was his friend, and he applauded Lazio fans for the banner, actually one of the main reasons they did the banner was for Sinsia. He once called Arkan "a hero for the Serbian people”. I know he's dead now, but he was a despicable person, called Viera "a black monkey" and spat on Adrian Mutu, and always had issues with Kosovans and Albanians among others.

[@duran9664]

🔥FACT🔥 There is not much difference between Zeljko Raznatovic (Arkan) & the true current owner of Newcastle United🤏

[@TaskForce_911]

There's a reason why Rival fans often call them "SS Nazio"

[@tomwantshelp]

What a bonkers story. Just keeps getting crazier. Shame this scumbag didn’t end up rotting in the Hague like he deserved to.

[@matttippton5106]

At least he is a hero and popular icon in Serbia

[@ammarharith5512]

​@@matttippton5106 I wouldn't consider this guy as a heroic figure. 😂

[@vaffangool9196]

​@@matttippton5106 All it takes to be a hero to Serbians is to be a genocidal war criminal.

[@marioandwes]

@@ammarharith5512Yeah but Serbians would lmao

[@savastevanovic]

@@marioandwes I am Serbian and I am ashamed of him. Most people I know are as well.

[@semko91]

I am from Bosnia and know the history of this scumbag pretty well. He always tried to be upper class and well-spoken, but was a simple non-educated street criminal. His fame comes from ratting partners out and working as a hitman for the yugoslav secret service. His father saved him several times in younger years, because he was an army officer and had wide connections. On his own, this guy would have been killed within a day by other criminals.

[@milankengur7216]

so your family was Serbian than converted to islam?

[@semko91]

@@milankengur7216 of course not, my family consists of educated and civilized people, not serbs.

[@-onyx-9453]

@@milankengur7216 All Boso's are, bunch of traitors.🤮🤮🤮🤮

[@joshuafrimpong244]

​@@milankengur7216why is that relevant, and where are two of the comments

[@marco0445]

​@@milankengur7216🇽🇰

[@andrasszabo1570]

One thing not mentioned is that his father's friend was Secretary of Interior and the head of secret police Stane Dolanc. "Whenever Ražnatović was in trouble, Dolanc helped him, allegedly as a reward for his services to the UDBA, as seen in the escape from the Lugano prison in 1981. Dolanc is quoted as having said: "One Arkan is worth more than the whole UDBA."

[@sevargas1]

What? It just keeps going with this guy

[@duran9664]

🔥FACT🔥 There is not much difference between Zeljko Raznatovic (Arkan) & the true current owner of Newcastle United🤏

[@prafullbotre9847]

Political stories around football is one of the most intriguing genres of storytelling that you have found

[@duran9664]

🔥FACT🔥 There is not much difference between Zeljko Raznatovic (Arkan) & the true current owner of Newcastle United🤏

[@billmiller2368]

When I was a young naïve journalist in the 90s in the USA I went to Belgrade to do a story about Arkan and we saw the Bayern Munich and Obilic champions league game. Ottmar Hitzfeld tells looked bewildered, but It was a wild scene. He had a baby tiger that he would bring on the field. he used Tigers members as guards around all of his properties. By then it seems like they must’ve been drinking because they just told us all these horrible war stories almost without us asking. It was pretty morbid, but I bought a Arkin Tigers T-shirt at the avalanche game which I had since thrown away.

[@duran9664]

🔥FACT🔥 There is not much difference between Zeljko Raznatovic (Arkan) & the true current owner of Newcastle United🤏

[@AdamOBrien29]

It's amazing how Tifo make what should be a 2hr documentary into a 10min video 😂

[@duran9664]

🔥FACT🔥 There is not much difference between Zeljko Raznatovic (Arkan) & the true current owner of Newcastle United🤏

[@marinvidoje7017]

Crazy 90s in Serbia.. Arkan even used a real tiger as a team's mascot so you can google pictures of little tiger running on the field before their match against Bayern Munich in Belgrade. There is a story that Ceca (she is basically an folk/pop icon in Serbia) and her people cut one player's leg off because he didn't want to accept transfer to Turkish club, so later they used that as an example to all other players in club who didn't want to accept outgoing transfers if club already made a deal.

[@Na_Desportiva]

That last part sounds fake.

[@tigosmit4369]

​@@Na_Desportiva Serbian rather losing a leg than going to Turkey seems pretty plausible to me

[@duran9664]

🔥FACT🔥 There is not much difference between Zeljko Raznatovic (Arkan) & the true current owner of Newcastle United🤏

[@karambhamra2761]

Suddenly... the Glazers don't seem so bad 😂

[@Timliu92]

The Glazers are bad owners but at least they are not warlords or S-tier crime lords 😂

[@duran9664]

🔥FACT🔥 There is not much difference between Zeljko Raznatovic (Arkan) & the true current owner of Newcastle United🤏

[@Mopile_420]

I am from Serbia. Normal people look at him as some of the worst people ever lived in our country.

[@metropolisatlantas]

But then again, your country held a literal parade in support of russian genocide in Ukraine.

[@matttippton5106]

Hahaha a koliko puno ima normalnih u Srbiji?

[@Mopile_420]

@@matttippton5106 trenutno to nije pitanje. Slazem se da nas je malo, zahvaljujuci Arkanu, Pinku i ostalim kriminalcima, kurvama i naravno politicarima.

[@luckky5694]

Respect to people like you, i have seen many people keeping him in profile pictures and i have heard some churches declared him as a saint.

[@Mopile_420]

Thank you. I am a Serbian Patriot. But criminals are not heroes. Our hero should be the people that helped our nation. You can look about Milunka Savic. She is our hero. We had many before her, but she is one of the lates. Sabaton, metal band from Sweden made a song about her, the name of the song is The lady of the dark. @@luckky5694

[@danderson8463]

It gets more bizarre. Arkan's friend, lawyer & co-owner at Obilic (giovanni di stefano) tried to buy Dundee FC in Scotland. Di Stefano, known as The Devils Advocate, had represented Slobodan Milosevic, Gary Glitter, Saddam Hussein, Tariq Aziz and Chemical Ali, and claimed to be friends with Mugabe and Bin Laden. The bid failed due to links with Arkan but di Stefano eventually made it onto the board at Dundee. He wanted a big signing, suggesting Juve star Edgar Davids (at Dundee fc!) Or Gazza, before somehow persuading Fabrizio Ravanelli to sign. Six months later the club is bankrupt and Di Stefano disappears. It further emerges The Devils Advocate isn't actually a qualified lawyer at all. In 2011 he was arrested in Spain and convicted of fraud and money laundering charges. He should be due for release very soon.

[@duran9664]

🔥FACT🔥 There is not much difference between Zeljko Raznatovic (Arkan) & the true current owner of Newcastle United🤏

[@Magicmammoth934]

The world does such a good job of hiding these kind of atrocities from the public. Insane to think of what is going on we never hear about

[@JJMiller-jw6ph]

Hiding this should be done till some extent. We already have enough Militant Lambs of Martyrdom

[@Sujay95]

Yep. Look how they silenced Julian Assange.

[@duran9664]

🔥FACT🔥 There is not much difference between Zeljko Raznatovic (Arkan) & the true current owner of Newcastle United🤏

[@blindfolds1aside]

Highly recommend James Montague's book "Among the Ultras", he delves into this story and the wider context in Serbia so well. Cool to see Tifo working with him

[@duran9664]

🔥FACT🔥 There is not much difference between Zeljko Raznatovic (Arkan) & the true current owner of Newcastle United🤏

[@allotment3275]

Misread the title as watford owner of a champions league club - one can dream

[@mrjoe5292]

All we can do at the moment as Watford fans

[@ronvlaarsvar6867]

Big Udinise fan then....?

[@allotment3275]

​@@ronvlaarsvar6867and Granada. Love them all

[@donskyy]

Sini sama Mihajlovic was one of his admirer, I remember he applauded to one section of Olimpico where there is a banner written "Onore ala Tiger Arkan"

[@ilihyseni478]

Ex Yugoslav football is a treasure trove for this sort of stuff. Current Serb president was said to have been in the stands during that infamous game v Dinamo Zagreb. He’s also got links to Red star’s ultras today. Great guardian article on them recently. Enjoyed the video, great stuff 👍

[@duran9664]

🔥FACT🔥 There is not much difference between Zeljko Raznatovic (Arkan) & the true current owner of Newcastle United🤏

[@benclarkey1412]

Such a good video and great journalism. Well done Tifo team

[@shotgun_blammo]

“Don’t bring politics into football” - some guy in 2023 💀

[@mikeltsmith]

The absolute truth

[@duran9664]

🔥FACT🔥 There is not much difference between Zeljko Raznatovic (Arkan) & the true current owner of Newcastle United🤏

[@willsaenz6320]

Videos like these from Tifo genuinely got me into football when I was only a nominal fan beforehand. I'm still not entirely sure how that worked out

[@dropview7013]

That was chilling to watch tifo. I feel sorry for all of this guys victims. I really hope we don’t have anyone like this in the game today.

[@ChiChiChutes]

Newcastle's owners probably order more atrocities in a year than this guy did during his entire life

[@seppokuusinen8595]

Unfortunately, we do. Infantino and his corrupt cronies.

[@duran9664]

🔥FACT🔥 There is not much difference between Zeljko Raznatovic (Arkan) & the true current owner of Newcastle United🤏

[@thztan7492]

Again James Montague & Tifo colab are always amazing 👍👍👍

[@Komozaroch]

Tifo what a vidéo. You gave us history lessons... football is in our moden days DNA... thank you guys

[@marcusfearon-smith570]

One of the best Tifo videos ever. Great job on something that’s largely unknown

[@duran9664]

🔥FACT🔥 There is not much difference between Zeljko Raznatovic (Arkan) & the true current owner of Newcastle United🤏

[@angel_14061]

Excellent story, well done Tifo team. I was waiting eagerly for some content related to the Ex-Yugoslav region, it was worth the wait :)

[@duran9664]

🔥FACT🔥 There is not much difference between Zeljko Raznatovic (Arkan) & the true current owner of Newcastle United🤏

[@ugobabyy]

This was an amazing watch!

[@alonsorivasfdez.441]

Respect my man HITC Sevens who already made a video about him a year ago

[@hsthatzo8063]

He's too woke to watch.

[@durantulaftw]

The Underworld Podcast did an incredible episode on this topic, highly recommend it to anyone looking to delve further

[@hisgenerals3793]

A documentary on football, war and politics. Tifo really got me here

[@asparagusbrown]

Amazing. Thank you.

[@afonsosantos6606]

Tifo comprised a Netflix series into 10 minutes, just Wow 👏 this channel just keeps getting better

[@nathitshabalala5414]

The opening description alone is award wining.

[@michaelvitenu1785]

Fantastic journalism Tifo.

[@kylebridgett3941]

How can you not love this game. Drama better than any theater

[@michaelhenderson3321]

So wild! Great video! Do more like this please 😃

[@catch22andys51]

Everyday is a school day when Tifo publish a video

[@automatedcryptoapp4573]

Even by Tifo's standards this is a crazy story.

[@duran9664]

🔥FACT🔥 There is not much difference between Zeljko Raznatovic (Arkan) & the true current owner of Newcastle United🤏

[@MaurizioMezzatesta]

I thought there are still worse owners currently active

[@SZY_]

you thought right

[@lewisbryant6786]

Thought it was going to be about Newcastle

[@thetopfootycoach]

Fantastic video Tifo, I aspire to making videos like this

[@dmtmay]

That's one of the most incredible and insane stories I've ever heard!

[@sankara6823]

Great video Tifo! I read about this story in detail in the book ' How football explains the world '

[@Jack-sc3dn]

He probably doesn’t deserve it but this has to be a Netflix series. This story is extraordinary, incredible work from Tifo and the Atheltic!

[@serdarjanko1040]

Well you don't have to be a good person to have a netflix show?

[@duran9664]

🔥FACT🔥 There is not much difference between Zeljko Raznatovic (Arkan) & the true current owner of Newcastle United🤏

[@usmanrulezzz]

Without a doubt one of the craziest human beings ever! Absolutely mad!

[@living_craft]

Huh. Tifo content.. soothes the mind

[@andremendes3179]

Brilliant story! 👏👏👏 I remember Lazio ultras honoured him when he died

[@Don_wiggle]

Just two minutes into the video, am 😲 this ain't sports, but politics & a lot of other disparate sectors condensed in sub 30 minutes. Wow. Tifo 🙌🙌🙌

[@abolje19]

5:56 The way he said Ceca had me dying. It's pronounced "Tsetsa"

[@ismaelbandekhodaeidiaz3407]

Wow! What a story!

[@GNMbg]

He killed 16 Czechoslovakians. Guy was an interior decorator

[@adam_19855]

His stadium looked like sh*t.

[@mylokingara1397]

Brilliant vid

[@hbez8]

They need to make a movie about this guy what a crazy life

[@nicocorbo4153]

i remember the hitc sevens video about arkan. absolutely unbelievable story

[@georgehall7059]

Incredible video. He'd still pass the EFL Fit and Proper Persons test.

[@hanschristopherson8056]

Absolutely crazy story

[@owenchan7086]

Great video!

[@AbdulAzeez_]

What a crazy story🤯

[@jonathanvillalba3214]

Sounds like the type of person UEFA and FIFA love doing business with!

[@mecagon666]

"But he soon escaped to Europe"...from...Europe.

[@ricardoassis7]

Thought this video was about Pinto da Costa the presimente of oporto. The biggest mafioso in sports who never spent 1 day in jail and controls everything in the north of Portugal since 1982 from politics to mafioso activities. Because of his success in the club people allow him everything and love him like a cult leader. FACTS!

[@frankieappiah]

Is such a life story even possible? Crazy 🤪

[@andabossftw]

I straight away knew from the thumbnail that it was going to be about Arkan

[@aaroncottam]

HITC sevens did a brilliant documentary on this story

[@nadimkourda]

This should be a movie

[@benh7506]

cool video. Good research

[@banksofbarcelona3893]

Wow, thankfully we're never near a criminal like this. Unbelievable

[@kn1ghtc]

arkan has such an intresting history

[@12thMandalorian]

i want to know more about his ownership of a sweet shop

[@SomeBritishGal1]

Man saw a Bond film and decided he wanted to be the villain in one

[@mikeltsmith]

What a story!😮👀😬

[@nst1981]

What a charming fellow(!)

[@bainesontoastz1]

knew it would be about arkan at least he got street justice served to him

[@TapiwanasheSamuvumbaPorkie]

Jonh Wick finally killed him at the Intercontinental Hotel 🤣🤣🤣

[@somebody6039]

That's how he became excommunicado 😂

[@wedontcookfood]

Great video, new Fifa career mode idea in the works!

[@kingkhaya1115]

Whoa what a story 😮😮😮

[@Kspat2]

Legitimate super villain. 😂

[@FejiroUmukoroO.B.E.]

The guy is the type of character they usually potray on tv

[@MrTazed4]

This sounds like a great project for Guy Richie.

[@zakariaabdimohamed7063]

Being labeled as an expert jail breaker isn't an easy task. Give the man his 🥇

[@yt.personal.identification]

Is this going to be a series?

[@Hybridtheory2007]

Arkan and his paramilitary group were responsible for some of the most brutal rapes and killings of civilians during the Bosnian War. He actively participated in Serb plans to ethnically cleanse Bosniak civilians from many towns and villages across Bosnia and Herzegovina.

[@duran9664]

🔥FACT🔥 There is not much difference between Zeljko Raznatovic (Arkan) & the true current owner of Newcastle United🤏

[@martinzzincredible2836]

Football has really come quite far!...

[@kirank8859]

Wonderful video

[@God_is_an_Atheist666]

I would watch a Netflix series rendition of this guy's life, without a doubt. Preferably Amazon Prime thou, Netflix ruins everything.

[@andrei19238]

What a cool guy

[@MitchWebb94]

That is wild

[@Lgx-ie4if]

Hitc sevens already covered this in a great video

[@corvus2512]

I really thought this was going to be about a current club, it seems only the Balkans in the 80s and 90s are crazier than right now

[@dylanparker130]

Next vid: "The UCL club owner who ordered the dismembering of a Journalist"

[@user-rc8ct8ck5z]

How is this not a movie?!

[@Trobojka-]

The craziest part is, many in Serbia believe he faked his death in 2000 and escaped the hague..

[@lahmerali7652]

The gloomy picture of football (thanks a lot tifo ❤)

[@poshtory2321]

Arkan will still passed the FA FIT AND PROPER TEST.

[@Amazinglyultra]

I thought this video was about sheriff tirsapol at first

[@yogevlahat6830]

I thought this would be a video about the Newcastle owners...

[@aristeia71]

I feel like I’ve heard this story before. Did I read this on The Athletic or did Alfie cover this on HITC Sevens?

[@aristeia71]

HITC Sevens did it in May 2022. “The Football Club Run by a War Criminal”. Always appreciate the TIFO videos and it reaches a wider audience. If you want an even deeper 30 min + video covering it, check that one out afterwards.

[@shadmanhossain9414]

Shoutout Erik Niva