Croatian police make arrests over antisemitic chants before Hajduk-Ajax match

Croatian police are investigating antisemitic chanting by Hajduk Split supporters before Thursday's Conference League match against Ajax, BBC Sport reported. Police told the broadcaster that arrests had already been made in connection with the chants and that they had identified several more people whom they were seeking. The report did not specify the number arrested.

Watch the highlights:

Video shared online showed supporters outside the stadium chanting about Auschwitz and expressing support for Adolf Hitler. A yellow car with a coffin bearing Ajax's name on its roof led a large march towards the ground. The Amsterdam club has a historic association with the Jewish community, the BBC noted in its account of the incident.

The Croatian government condemned the behaviour in a statement posted on X on Thursday, rejecting chants that glorified the Nazi regime and describing them as incompatible with the country's democratic values. Tena Simonovic Einwalter, Croatia's parliamentary-appointed ombudswoman responsible for safeguarding human rights, also condemned the incident. She warned that similar behaviour was becoming more widespread and criticised what she regarded as inadequate responses to earlier incidents.

Hajduk won the match 2-1, but fireworks in the stands caused a stoppage of approximately 10 minutes. The club subsequently issued an apology on social media to spectators, the competition organiser and Ajax's management and players. According to the BBC, that statement did not explicitly address the antisemitic chanting. The apology referred to scenes the club did not want to define how it was remembered in Europe.

The location of any misconduct is relevant to the scope of a possible football disciplinary response. BBC Sport reported that Uefa does not have jurisdiction over incidents away from a stadium, although it can act over events inside the ground or within its precinct. The police investigation concerns the chanting before the match; the fireworks interruption took place during play.

Croatian football has previously faced disciplinary consequences for discriminatory behaviour. Earlier this month, Croatia's Nations League fixture against England was held under a stadium ban following supporters' conduct against France last year, with children and accompanying adults permitted to attend. The BBC also recalled the Croatian Football Federation's apology in 2015 after a swastika appeared on the pitch before a European Championship qualifier against Italy.