UEFA are ready to kick out Croatia over their fans’ violence
CROATIA face being kicked out of Euro 2016 hours before they are due to play their final group game against Spain on Tuesday.
On Friday flares and fireworks rained on to the pitch and fighting broke out among Croatia supporters five minutes from the end of their draw with the Czech Republic. A steward was injured when he attempted to pick up a firework as it exploded.
UEFA meet tomorrow to discuss sanctions but the Croatia football federation (HNS) claimed they warned the authorities that there would be trouble. A spokesman told news agency AFP: ‘In the preparation of this match, HNS did everything possible to prevent incidents and therefore both UEFA and the French police were warned of the hooligans’ intentions to interrupt it.’
The Croatian head of security Miroslav Markovic said his federation had a tip-off there would be incidents in the 85th minute of the match in Saint-Etienne and blamed his government for allowing hooliganism to thrive in Croatia.
‘The incident in Saint-Etienne is indeed the result of this passive attitude of the Croatian state and today we are all hostages of a group of hooligans.’ he said.’
Hooliganism has been on the rise in Croatia over the past four years since former Croatia and Arsenal striker Davor Suker became president of the federation.
Angry fans believe Suker and his colleagues are too closely linked with former Dinamo Zagreb boss Zdravko Mamic, accused by some of abusing the game for his own gain and protest against the national team at every opportunity.
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic, who managed Croatia from 2006-12, warned that the protests, going on for six or seven years, would continue.
‘It’s a clash been the north and south,’ he said. ‘They [fans] think the Croatian FA rarely plays in Split, they think it’s all about Zagreb. It’s probably not the last time they will do it.’
Croatia midfielder Ivan Rakitic and his team-mates fear they won’t play Tuesday’s match against Spain. He said: ‘Maybe they will send us home after this.’
But Suker, one of the stars of Euro 96, is confident that Croatia will remain here at Euro 2016. ‘We will not be expelled but they will punish us,’ he said.
Croatia will hope that UEFA settle for a fine and a suspended expulsion, that Russia got after their fans attacked English fans in the stadium in Marseille.
Turkey fans can also expect punishment for incidents in Friday’s defeat to Spain, while Hungary could also be in hot water after trouble in yesterday’s game with Iceland.