Croatian leaders have strongly condemned anti-Semitic and pro-Nazi chants by Hajduk Split football fans ahead of their UEFA Europa League match against Ajax, prompting an official police investigation and widespread outrage.
Groups of supporters known as the Torcida marched through the coastal town of Split before Thursday’s game, shouting slogans such as “Crush the Jews”, “Rise up Adolf (Hitler)” and “Let’s go Ustasha”, referencing the nation’s World War II pro-Nazi regime.
Dozens of fans were detained for violence prior to kickoff. During the fixture, Torcida supporters ignited flares and other pyrotechnics in the stands, causing a match stoppage that lasted more than ten minutes. Police confirmed that an investigation into the pro-Nazi chants is underway and suspects are actively being detained. During the match, Torcida fans set off flares and other pyrotechnics in the stands, forcing more than a 10-minute stoppage.
President Zoran Milanovic condemned the incident in a Friday statement, labeling it unacceptable and shameful while calling for swift action against perpetrators to show there is no space in Croatia for the glorification of Nazism and Ustasha ideology.
Israel’s embassy in Zagreb shared on social media that it was deeply shocked by the severe anti-Semitic incident in Split and condemned it in the strongest possible terms. Conservative Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic similarly condemned the anti-Semitic messages as completely at odds with desired societal values in Croatia.
Hajduk Split, who ultimately won the match 2-1, issued an apology to UEFA and Ajax after opposing fans and officials witnessed scenes they do not want Europe to remember. The Croatian football federation also issued a formal condemnation.
Historically, Croatia’s hardcore ultra-nationalist supporters have damaged the country’s sporting image through fascist slogans and Ustasha symbols. The historical Ustasha regime persecuted and killed hundreds of thousands of ethnic Serbs, Jews, Roma, and antifascist Croatians.
In 2015, UEFA docked Croatia a point after supporters painted a swastika on the pitch in Split before a Euro 2016 qualifier against Italy. Critics argue that authorities have increasingly tolerated pro-Nazi history and failed to sanction the display of Ustasha emblems in recent years.
