Croatian police detained 51 people involved in fan violence following the cup semi-final match between Hajduk Split and Dinamo Zagreb. The Croatian Football Federation and local government have condemned the violence.
HNK Hadjuk Split vs Dinamo Zagreb
Croatian Cup ๐ญ๐ท๐ฅ (03.04.2024)#HrvatskiDerbi #CroatianDerby #HadjukDinamo #hnkhadjuk #hadjuksplit #torcidasplit #pyro #ultras #footballfans #poljud pic.twitter.com/FXQGJ77KaBโ Ultras World (@Ultrasworld_uw) April 4, 2024
Fan violence in Split explainedย
Dinamo Zagreb won the match 1-0, and shortly after the match finished at 9.pm., a section of Hajduk supporters made their way onto the pitch to attack the Dinamo players and fans. The police said: โThe attack was prevented, and people were diverted to the stands by the policeโs timely reaction and actions.โ
The violence continued outside the stadium, with eight police officers requiring medical assistance in hospital. One officer had to undergo surgery for a fractured femur after being caught up in the skirmishes.
As well as this, there were rubbish bins set on fire and flares, bottles, and stones thrown at police officers. Firefighters were then called in to prevent a fire in the parking area from spreading.
The situation calmed down 90 minutes after the game had finished, but the police stayed vigilant and monitored public areas through the night to prevent more fan violence from breaking out.
Governing body and Mayor of Split condemn unsavoury scenes
On his Facebook profile, the Mayor of Split said: โThere is no justification for violence, and I strongly condemn the riots and destruction of property that took place in and around the stadium after the match. I am sorry for such unpleasant scenes and hope we will never see them again in our city.โ
The Croatian Football Federation were also quick to condemn the fan violence that took place. In a statement, they said: โThe Croatian Football Association strongly condemns the fan riots that took place after the SuperSport Croatian Football Cup semi-final match in Split.
โAfter the match Hajduk – Dinamo (0:1), a certain number of fans of the home team ran onto the field, and then initiated and participated in a fight with the police in the stadium, and later outside it.
โThe Croatian Football Association always strongly condemns any form of violence in football stadiums, and we call on all actors in and outside of football to show zero tolerance for any inappropriate and unacceptable behavior, from racism and discrimination to physical violence.
Riots in Split last night after Hajduk Split lost the semi-final of the Croatian cup vs Dinamo Zagreb ๐ญ๐ท๐ฅ pic.twitter.com/URolJQL0ht
โ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ฅ (@thecasualultra) April 4, 2024
โWe share the deep disappointment of the football public due to the unpleasant scenes that followed last night's match, and we hope that every individual who participated in the riots will be held accountable in accordance with the law.
โAt the same time, we thank the police for their professional reaction that protected the present teams, officials and spectators and stopped the further escalation of vandalism and violence.
โIncidents like this, in which spectators, sports workers and footballers do not feel safe, have no place in stadiums, and HNS, as a responsible organization, will continue to invest maximum efforts in the fight against illegal behavior, in which it expects and needs the support of clubs and all competent institutions.