The key facts
- Torcida fans chanted slogans 'Crush the Jews', 'Rise, Adolf' and 'Forward, Ustase' before the Ajax match
- President Milanovic and PM Plenkovic condemned the incident; the Israeli embassy is 'deeply shocked'
- Police opened an investigation, dozens of fans detained; Hajduk won 2:1 and apologized to UEFA and Ajax
Chanting before the match in Split
Groups of Hajduk Split fans known as Torcida marched through the city ahead of Thursday's UEFA Conference League match against Amsterdam's Ajax, chanting, according to local media, the slogans 'Crush the Jews', 'Rise, Adolf (Hitler)' and 'Forward, Ustase' — a reference to the pro-fascist regime of the Second World War era. Dozens of fans were detained before the match for violence. During the game, Torcida fans set off flares and other pyrotechnics in the stands, forcing the match to be interrupted for more than 10 minutes. Hajduk won 2:1.
Reaction of the authorities and Israel
Croatian President Zoran Milanovic in a statement on Friday called what happened 'unacceptable and shameful' and called for swift action against those responsible to 'show that there is no place in Croatia for glorifying Nazism and the Ustasha ideology'. Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic also condemned 'messages of antisemitism... completely contrary to the values we want to uphold in Croatian society'. The Israeli embassy in Zagreb, according to AFP, said it was 'deeply shocked by the serious antisemitic incident that took place in Split'.
Investigation and the club's apology
Police said an investigation has been opened into the pro-fascist chants and suspects have been detained. Hajduk in a statement apologized to UEFA and Ajax, who 'witnessed scenes we do not want Europe to remember'. The Croatian Football Federation also condemned the incident.
Context: the history of ultras in Croatia
According to Euronews, far-right hardcore fans in Croatia have been damaging the country's image for years, chanting pro-fascist slogans and displaying Ustasha symbols. The Ustasha regime killed and persecuted hundreds of thousands of ethnic Serbs, Jews, Roma and anti-fascist Croats. In 2015, UEFA deducted one point from the Croatian national team after fans painted a swastika on the pitch in Split before a Euro-2016 qualifier against Italy; those responsible were never found. In recent years, according to critical assessments, tolerance of the pro-fascist past has been growing in the country, and critics accuse the authorities of insufficient measures against the use of Ustasha symbols.
