False flag attack by a swastika: Ultras want Croatia banished from the Euros!
29 June, 2015
Ozren Podnar
The imprint of a swastika at a Croatian soccer stadium was not a pro-Nazi outburst but an act of war by regional fans against the national FA.
The Group H Euro 2016 qualifier between Croatia and Italy at Poljud Stadium in Split on June 12th sent a shocking image to the world. On the right side of the pitch, not far from the bench, there appeared a large swastika etched or mowed into the grass.
The game was played behind closed doors on UEFA's order following alleged racist chants during the Croatia vs Norway game (5-1) last March in Zagreb.
Most TV viewers did not notice the rather pale Nazi symbol until their attention was brought to it by the TV commentators. They in turn were alerted by someone in the VIP box who happened to have more acute vision than the others present.
Terrorist Attack
The recently elected president of the Croatian FA Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic condemned the (still unknown) perpetrators accusing them of shaming the country in the eyes of the world, while the FA chairman Davor Suker said that the act had elements of terrorism.
The international media and most of the local press concluded that the swastika pattern was yet more proof of the rampant neo-Nazism sweeping Croatia. Indeed, the far-right seems to be on the rise in the country that entered the European Union two years ago.
The causes include high unemployment, disillusionment with the results of the transition to capitalism, fear of the loss of national identity within the EU and the unfettered promotion of nationalism by right-wing parties, currently in opposition to the centre-left socialist-lead coalition.
Livorno Lunatics
Croatian soccer fans are indeed notorious for their far right leanings, which they have displayed on many occasions. Internationally, the most notorious incident was the creation of the "human swastika" in the stands of the stadium in Livorno in 2006 during a friendly between Italy and Croatia (0-2).
Some 70 visiting ultras positioned themselves in such a way that their bodies formed the Nazi symbol. Their apparent goal was to provoke the left-leaning home fans, seeing that Livorno is one of the most distinguished socialist strongholds in Italy.
More recently, in 2013, the retired international defender Josip Simunic encouraged thousands at Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb to chant "za dom - spremni" (for homeland - ready), the salute of the feared Ustase, the Croatian pro-Nazi organization which collaborated with the Axis powers during the Second World War.
How the FA was Framed
Last March the same salute was heard from the crowd at Maksimir during the game with Norway (5-1), which resulted in UEFA's fan ban against Italy. Even though no spectators were present at Poljud Stadium, unidentified vandals found a way to sneak into the stadium before the match, likely during the night, and etch the swastika pattern on the grass with a chemical.
Seeing Croatia's poor disciplinary track record and the right-wing sympathies of many of their fans, most foreigners have reached the obvious conclusion: the swastika was placed on the turf by domestic extremists to celebrate Nazism.
Except it was not. This may come as a huge surprise to non-Croatian readers, but this particular sabotage had nothing to do with genuine pro-Nazi sentiments. The swastika was most likely drawn by local hard-core fans with the specific intention of hurting the Croatian FA and the national team. The FA was, in fact, framed by rebellious hooligans with whom it is at war.
A Region Against the Capital
It is essential to note the match was played in Split, the capital of the southern region of Dalmatia and the home of the passionately supported Hajduk football club. Once the strongest club in Croatia and the former Yugoslavia, Hajduk have not tasted League title success since 2005. In the meantime, their arch rivals Dinamo, from the capital Zagreb in the north of the country, have won ten consecutive championships and six FA Cups.
The humiliating inferiority of their beloved soccer team, a major regional symbol, has exacerbated the animosity many Dalmatian Croats feel towards the "wealthy, privileged, arrogant capital" and the national institutions located there. The uninterrupted string of Hajduk's defeats has been perceived by Dalmatians as an affront to their dignity.
An unfounded belief that the FA has been helping Dinamo win trophies has turned the soccer governing body and the national team into enemies. The belief, however irrational, is based on the fact that most of the FA's highest officials, including Suker, are or were connected to Dinamo. The FA itself fuelled discontent by avoiding playing competitive games in Split for many years, preferring Zagreb instead.
Awful Timing
Suker, the ex-Sevilla, Real Madrid and Arsenal striker and the 1998 World Cup Golden Boot winner, attempted to make peace with the southerners by awarding the qualifiers against Italy and Bulgaria to Split, but his plan backfired. Only two days after the FA announced Poljud Stadium as the venue for the two forthcoming home games, UEFA slapped Croatia with the fan ban.
Since Suker is a member of UEFA's Executive Committee, the Dalmatians accused him of having cheated them by deliberately choosing Split for a match which the fans would not be able to attend. Both Suker and UEFA denied that, claiming that no-one except the Disciplinary Committee had known of the ban before it was officially announced.
The denials were in vain; in the eyes of most supporters from the southern region, the "centralist" FA and the national team have ceased to represent Dalmatia and have therefore become an attractive target for retaliation. The hostility was evident on social networks and online media forums.
Numerous users openly threatened to cause new incidents on the earliest available occasion in order to expose the FA and the national team to further international sanctions.
It was clear from the messages that Split hooligans planned to use any means necessary to get Croatia expelled from next year's Euros. After the national team are kicked out, the ultras believe, Suker and his colleagues will resign and a new leadership will be elected.
Perverted Plan
Since there were to be no spectators at the Italy game, the FA officials and the loyal fans from elsewhere around the country feared the threat would be carried out on October 10th.
On that date the national team are to play host to Bulgaria - again in Split - presumably with the stadium gates reopened. However, local extremists found a way to harm "the enemies from Zagreb" sooner by planting the swastika on the eve of the match against Italy.
The FA, the team and the loyal Croatian fans are anxiously awaiting UEFA's ruling, which is expected to be announced on July 16th or 17th. The predictions range from a hefty six-figure fine and another match behind closed doors to a points deduction to outright expulsion from the qualifiers.
Should that be the case, Croatia will become the world's first national team whose elimination was deliberately brought about by a section of its own fans at odds with the national FA.
While that would be a tragedy for a great generation of players led by Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic, Mateo Kovacic and Mario Mandzukic, for the radical Dalmatian fans it would no doubt be a cause for perverted joy.
© Ozren Podnar & Soccerphile.com