Darko Pančev: the biggest transfer flop. It remains bizarre that Macedonian striker Darko Pančev – European Cup and Intercontinental Cup winner with Red Star Belgrade in 1991 – ended up at Bundesliga cellar side Fortuna Düsseldorf in 1995/96 after a spell so poor that it had already been judged a failure at relegated VfB Leipzig. In 14 matches, Pančev scored only twice, and by March 1996 he was no longer in Fortuna’s squad.
Fortuna had paid Inter Milan the equivalent of half a million euros in loan fees for the centre-forward.