Croatian police investigate pro-Nazi chants by Hajduk Split fans before Ajax match

Croatian police have opened an investigation into antisemitic and pro-Nazi chants by Hajduk Split fans. The chants were heard in Split before Thursday's home match against Ajax. Al Jazeera and BBC Sport both report that they included slogans in support of Adolf Hitler.

Police have detained or arrested people in connection with the chants. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not say how many people were held over the chants or whether anyone has been charged. Local police told BBC Sport that several more people had been identified and were being tracked down.

The Croatian government condemned the chanting. Hajduk Split apologised to the competition organiser, UEFA, and to Ajax. According to BBC Sport, the club's apology did not specifically mention any antisemitic chanting.

Hajduk won 2-1. Play was stopped for roughly 10 minutes because of pyrotechnics in the stands.

According to local media cited by Al Jazeera, fan groups known as the Torcida marched through Split chanting "Crush the Jews", "Rise up Adolf (Hitler)" and "Let's go Ustasha". The Ustasha was Croatia's World War II pro-Nazi regime. According to BBC Sport, footage published online shows supporters chanting about Auschwitz outside the stadium. BBC Sport also reported that a march to the stadium was led by a car carrying a coffin marked "Ajax". It noted that Ajax is historically associated with the Jewish community.

Al Jazeera reported that dozens of fans were detained before the match for violence. The reports do not say whether they include those held over the chants. According to Al Jazeera, the Croatian Football Federation condemned the incident.

According to BBC Sport, UEFA can act over incidents in the stands or stadium precinct, but not away from the stadium. The reports do not say whether UEFA has opened proceedings. They include no response from Ajax.

In 2015, a swastika was marked on the pitch in Split before a Croatia–Italy qualifier. According to Al Jazeera, UEFA docked Croatia a point and the perpetrators were never found.

What is disputed

Al Jazeera's headline calls the match a Europa League game. The body text of both reports says Conference League. Al Jazeera put the stoppage at more than 10 minutes; BBC Sport said around 10.

What each side says

In a statement on X, the government said: "We strongly condemn the unacceptable chants glorifying the Nazi regime that were recorded among a portion of fans before today's match in Split."

According to Al Jazeera, President Zoran Milanovic called the incident "unacceptable and shameful" and urged swift action. Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic called the "messages of anti-Semitism … completely at odds with the values we want to uphold in Croatian society".

Israel's embassy in Zagreb said on X it was "deeply shocked" and condemned the incident "in the strongest possible terms".

Ombudswoman Tena Simonovic Einwalter, quoted by BBC Sport, said such phenomena are intensifying after "insufficient reaction from high-ranking officials and competent bodies".

Hajduk apologised to Ajax for "scenes we do not want Europe to remember us by". Critics cited by Al Jazeera accuse Croatian authorities of failing to sanction the use of Ustasha emblems.

Analysis

The incident places the police investigation, and any decision by UEFA, at the centre of what happens next. Much may depend on facts the reports do not yet establish: how many people are held over the chants, whether charges follow, and whether any chanting took place inside the stadium or its precinct. The government, President Zoran Milanovic and Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic have condemned the chants. The ombudswoman and unnamed critics, however, question how consistently past cases were handled. Possible outcomes range from criminal proceedings to UEFA sanctions, or neither. The results may shape how the response is judged.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.