Hoping for the Best
October 11 - 2006
For many, Croatian football fans are among the finest in the world. Their passion for the game is immense, and support for the Croatian national team is nothing short of rabid.
Their decorum, however, has been found lacking as of late. Witness the disturbing display of Croatian fans crafting a human swastika, and you can see why folks are a bit nervous ahead of England’s clash with Croatia today. The fixture will take place in Zagreb’s Maksimir Stadium; a medieval looking place where Croatia have never lost a match. The head of security has already admitted the police are powerless to stop troublemakers, saying on Sky Sports News, “Every time we stop, they find new way to trouble.” Nice.
The root of the trouble will likely be the notorious Dinamo Zagreb firm, the “Bad Blue Boys.” Flares, explosives, and indecipherable hip-hop lyrics seem to tickle their fancy, as the video below (which features scenes from Maksimir) will indicate. Stay safe, everyone.
Update: Apparently the trouble started last night.
[...] The army, in its possibly well meaning attempts to hold the former Yugoslavia together, developed a reputation as a suppressor of Croatian nationalism. Being a fan of a club like Dinamo Zagreb (and a hater of Partizan), then, became an expression of this nationalism. Put these two groups in the same stadium and you’re bound to get some ruckus. And, if….say… at the 1:23 mark…in the middle of a full scale riot…a ball randomly arrived at the foot of a guy running away from a charging mob…and he happened to casually flick it away with the outside of his foot while never breaking stride…that might provide some comic relief in an otherwise horrifying scene, no? Just saying. [...]
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