Croatian leaders on Friday condemned pro-Nazi and anti-Semitic chants by Hajduk Split supporters ahead of the club’s UEFA Conference League match against Ajax. Israel’s embassy said it was deeply disturbed by the incident.
Groups of fans from the Torcida, as Hajduk’s supporters are known, marched through the coastal town before Thursday’s game. Local media said they shouted “Crush the Jews”, “Rise up Adolf (Hitler)” and “Let’s go Ustasha”, a reference to the country’s pro-Nazi regime during the Second World War.
Police probe and official condemnation of the chants
Dozens of fans were detained before the match over violence. During the game, Torcida members set off flares and other pyrotechnics in the stands, which halted play for more than 10 minutes.
Police said an investigation had been opened into the chants and that suspects were being held. President Zoran Milanovic called the behaviour “unacceptable and shameful” and urged swift action against those responsible. Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic also denounced anti-Semitic messages that clash with the values Croatian society wants to uphold.
In a statement, Israel’s embassy in Zagreb said it was shocked by a serious anti-Semitic incident in Split.
Club apology and long-standing concerns over extremism
Hajduk Split, who won the match 2-1, apologised to UEFA and Ajax in a statement, saying they had witnessed scenes the club did not want Europe to remember. The Croatian football federation also condemned the incident.
Critics say ultra-nationalist hardcore supporters have damaged the country’s reputation for years, often through pro-fascist slogans and Ustasha symbols. The wartime regime killed and persecuted hundreds of thousands of Serbs, Jews, Roma and anti-fascist Croatians. In 2015, UEFA docked Croatia a point after fans painted a swastika on the pitch in Split before a Euro 2016 qualifier against Italy, and the perpetrators were never identified.
