Croatian police are investigating antisemitic chanting by Hajduk Split fans that took place before their Conference League game against Ajax on Thursday. Footage published online shows supporters chanting outside the stadium about Auschwitz and in support of Adolf Hitler. A large supporters' march to the stadium was led by a yellow car carrying a coffin marked "Ajax" on its roof. The Amsterdam club is historically associated with the Jewish community.
Croatia's ombudswoman Tena Simonovic Einwalter, an independent official appointed by parliament to safeguard human rights, called the incident a "manifestation of hatred and intolerance". The Croatian government also condemned the chanting, saying such behaviour "constitutes a negation of sport and the democratic values that modern Croatia cherishes."
Local police told BBC Sport they had already made arrests and that several further individuals had been identified and were being tracked down. Hajduk won the match 2-1, but play was stopped for around 10 minutes because of fireworks in the stands. The club posted an apology on social media, although it did not specifically mention any antisemitic chanting.
Uefa has no jurisdiction over incidents away from the stadium but can act if something happens in the stands or stadium precinct. Croatian football has faced sanctions over discriminatory behaviour before, including a swastika marked on the pitch in 2015. Simonovic Einwalter warned that such phenomena are "spreading more freely and intensifying" after previous incidents met with insufficient reaction from officials.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing