Nazi and anti-Semitic chants by fans of Croatian club Hajduk Split sparked a wave of official condemnations on Friday, following the team's match against Dutch side Ajax in the Conference European League.
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Local media reported that groups of Hajduk fans, known as "Torcida," roamed the streets of the coastal city of Split before Thursday's match, chanting slogans including "Crush the Jews" and "Rise up, Adolf," along with chants glorifying the Croatian Ustaša movement, which allied with the Nazis during World War II.
Police arrested dozens of fans before the match for acts of violence, while others set off flares and firecrackers inside the stands, causing play to be suspended for more than ten minutes.
Authorities announced an investigation into the Nazi chants, confirming they are working to identify those responsible and arrest suspects.
Croatian President Zoran Milanovic condemned the incident, describing it as "unacceptable and shameful," calling for swift action against those involved, and emphasizing that there is no place in Croatia for glorifying Nazism and the Ustaša ideology.
For its part, the Israeli embassy in Zagreb expressed its "deep shock" at what it described as a serious anti-Semitic incident in the city of Split.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković also condemned the chants, stressing that they contradict the values his country seeks to instill in society.
Hajduk Split, who won the match 2-1, apologized to UEFA and Ajax, expressing regret for the scenes witnessed during the match, while the Croatian Football Federation joined in the condemnations.
The incident brings renewed attention to the ongoing debate about manifestations of nationalist extremism in Croatian stadiums, as Croatia was previously penalized in 2015 with a point deduction after a swastika was drawn on the pitch in Split before a Euro 2016 qualifier against Italy.
The identity of those responsible for the incident was not revealed at the time.
During World War II, the Ustaše regime, allied with Nazi Germany, committed widespread murder and persecution of anti-fascist Serbs, Jews, Roma, and Croats, making the glorification of its symbols and slogans widely condemned.
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