Croatian leaders have condemned pro-Nazi and antisemitic songs by fans of Hajduk Split before their UEFA Conference League match against Ajax, while the Israeli embassy expressed shock.
According to local media, groups of Hajduk Split fans, known as Torcida, marched through the coastal town of Split before Thursday's match, chanting slogans such as "Kill the Jews," "Rise up Adolf (Hitler)," and "Go Ustasha," referring to the country's pro-Nazi World War II regime.
Dozens of fans were detained before the match for violent behavior. During the match, Torcida fans set off flares and other fireworks in the stands, forcing the game to be halted for more than 10 minutes.
Police said an investigation has been opened into the pro-Nazi songs and suspects are in custody.
In a statement on Friday, President Zoran Milanovic condemned the incident as "unacceptable and shameful." He called for swift action against the perpetrators to "show that there is no place for glorifying Nazism and Ustasha ideology in Croatia."
The Israeli embassy in Zagreb said on X that it was "extremely shocked by the severe antisemitic incident in Split and condemns it in the strongest terms."
Conservative Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic also condemned "the antisemitic messages... completely contrary to the values we want to uphold in Croatian society."
Hajduk Split, which won the match 2-1, in a statement apologized to UEFA and Ajax for "witnessing scenes we do not want Europe to remember," while the Croatian football federation also condemned the incident.
Croatia's extremist fans have tarnished the country's image for years, particularly by chanting pro-fascist slogans and displaying Ustasha symbols.
The Ustasha regime killed and persecuted hundreds of thousands of Serbs, Jews, Roma, and anti-fascist Croatians.
Croatia was deducted one point by UEFA after fans painted a swastika on the pitch in Split in 2015, before a Euro 2016 qualifier against Italy. The perpetrators have never been found.
In recent years, the country has seen growing tolerance for its pro-Nazi past, and critics accuse the authorities of failing to punish the use of Ustasha symbols.
