SUMMARY REPORT ON THE 9. ROUND OF THE HT CROATIAN FIRST SOCCER LEAGUE

Zagreb, 02.10.2018.
SUMMARY REPORT ON THE 9. ROUND OF THE HT CROATIAN FIRST SOCCER LEAGUE
Under the framework of the “Direct Prevention of Fan Violence” project, CHC observers monitored the games of the 9th round of the HT first Croatian soccer league, and based on direct insight and collected data recorded the following events
HNK HAJDUK – GNK DINAMO 0:0
The match of the 9. round of the HT first Croatian soccer league between HNK Hajduk and GNK Dinamo was played on 29.09.2018 at the Poljud stadium in Split, in front of around 21.100 people, from which about 5000 were members of Torcida (HNK Hajduk) and about 700 members of Bad Blue Boys (GNK Dinamo), which, according to the police reports, were transported with Ministry of internal affairs bus directly to the stadium.
Due to police requests, the match was not held at the usual time, at 19:00hrs, but was instead played at 16:30.
The match itself was played in a special atmosphere and was dubbed as a ‘high risk’ match. That was evident even from the fact that there were strong police forces spread on gas stations from Zagreb to Split and vice-versa. From the entrance to Split and the main intersection from Solin towards the stadium, police forces were spread out every 100m to prevent ‘stoning’ (and other incidents) of the bus with GNK Dinamo fans.
A special reason for police being so careful is that two physical incidents between Bad Blue Boys and Torcida occurred last week.
The first one happened on the Split-Zagreb highway, at the ‘Macola’ gas station, when Dinamo fans crossed the highway in full traffic, armed with wooden and metal bats, and attacked Hajduk fans, during which several cars and a part of cafe bar was destroyed. On the video recordings published by several media websites, it could be seen how fans were chasing each others and were shouting:”Kill him, motherfucker”, “Come back, pussies”, “You left your people behind”, and “Record them”.
The second incident, fortunately, was prevented by the police before it escalated into a fight. According to the media reports, on 26. September, around 14.15hrs on the A1 highway, at the Desinec resting place, due to the quick police intervention a clash between two different groups of football fans. To prevent the incident, member of the police force used means of coercion – pepper spray, after which the groups were separated. Among the members of one fan group multiple pyrotechnical devices and objects suitable for attacking someone were found. Fifteen persons were taken to police station for a criminal investigation.
It is hard to count all the moments in which pyrotechnical devices were used.
During the match, 45 flares were activated, 13 of which were thrown on the pitch.
Also, 17 ‘cannon blasts’, 9 smoke boxes and 5 ‘strobes’ were activated.
Due to thick smoke caused by all the pyrotechnical devices, the referee postponed the match three times, in 62’, 66’ and 68’.
Members of Torcida, on two occasions (15’ and 57’), chanted:”I’m lighting up tall furnaces; two lines of charcoal, four purgers; the purger screams aaaaa; there will be baking, I’m looking forward to it”.
During the activation of one of the ‘cannon blast’, the device didn’t activate immediately, so a firefighter Tomislav Biuk tried to grab the device and throw it into a prepared water bucket. The device suddenly activated and threw the firefighter one meter into the air. The fighter was left without a tip of his finger, as well as with a hurt palm and two other fingers. The firefighter also became deaf, but it is unknown is it temporary or permanent. The public was especially sensitive about the fact that the injured one was a firefighter, considering that they were the ones that prevented a huge fire in Split.
In the last minute of the match, an unknown person from Torcida members, hit a HNK Hajduk player, Adam Gyurcso, in the head with a stone. The player fell on the floor and was substituted moments after. GNK Dinamo player, Stojanović, picked up the stone and handed it over to the referee Bebek. Gyurcso was hospitalized in Split but the injury was not heavy.
Police has reported that before the match 34 persons were arrested, mostly for misdemeanor form the ‘Law of preventing incidents on sport events’ and the ‘Law of misdemeanor against public order and peace’. Eight persons were arrested due to abuse of pyrotechnical devices. Police force members have confiscated 12 different pyrotechnical devices before the public gathering. Due to the abuse of pyrotechnical devices, 2 persons were brought to Magistrates court in Split, and tomorrow, due to other incidents, seven more persons will be arrested.
NOTE: The president of the club, Mr. Jasmin Huljaj, had expressed his regrets regarding the events during the match.
The question we have to ask ourselves is why is the administration of HNK Hajduk paying for security guards when a huge quantity of pyrotechnical devices ends up on the stadium? Individuals/security guards are either in contact with Torcida members, or those individuals are being paid for ‘intentional omissions’.
The police have done a good job towards, around and on the stadium, and had prevented a couple possible clashes among the fans after the match. Though the same can not be said about the security of the match, which is a HNK Hajduk’s responsibility.
A special responsibility for the events that happened during the match is beard by HNK Hajduk’s security service, as well as the person in charge of relations of the club with their fans, as these incidents happen almost every match. After all that’s happening, the public can’t be satisfied with the statements that the current situation is ‘a bit out of control’.
HNK Hajduk was recently fined by the disciplinary referee of the Croatian football federation with 4 matches without any spectators on their stadium (Poljud) for 4 matches.
NK INTER ZAPREŠIĆ – NK OSIJEK 0:3
The match of the 9. round of the HT first Croatian soccer league between NK Inter Zaprešić and NK Osijek was played on 29.09.2018., at the ŠRC Zaprešić stadium in Zaprešić, in front of around 300 people, from which about 30 were members of Kohorta (NK Osijek) and about 10 were fans of Inter Zaprešić.
The match was played in a fair, sporty atmosphere, with a couple of insults form both sides.
HNK RIJEKA – SLAVEN BELUPO 0:0
The match of the 9. round of the HT first Croatian soccer league between HNK Rijeka and NK Slaven Belupo was played on 30.09.2018., at the Rujevica stadium in Rijeka, in front of around 4.300 people, from which about 300 were members of Armada (HNK Rijeka).
The only incident that occurred was that at the final moments of the match, members of Armada chanted to their own players:”Play, you faggots”.
For the Croatian helsinki committee:
Ivan Zvonimir Čičak
President