While there is much outrage and numerous articles about the causes and problems of hooliganism in Croatian football, we are trying to look for the solution
When writing about this kind of a subject, one cannot avoid being misunderstood, so if anyone felt that I have given my support to the people who threw flares in the previous article, ‘ sorry you missed the point. On June 19, 2016, I will try to do an overview of the international media coverage of this events, and try to propose the solution to the problem.
Croatian media has almost unanimously stood up and condemned those hooligans, with rage, and often illegitimate accusations, and named people without the needed check. That aside, there is a prevailing opinion that the Croatia has been shamed in front of the international public, a fact often (mis)used in Croatia.
In the meantime, international media have done their job and explored the matter a bit more deeply. Of course, there is no sane person who would approve throwing flares and loud firecrackers, but they went beyond the ugly pictures, just as did we yesterday.
We started with Goal.com, one of the biggest football news portals in Europe, who brought the headline “Why did Croatia hooligans stage shocking flare protest at EURO 2016?” and the teaser to follow: “What may have looked like a mindless act from a section of supporters was, in fact, a planned protest against the Croatian Football Federation”. British Guardian brings a similar story, paying attention to the reasons for the hooligans’ acts, and analyzing the misconducts of the Croatian Football Federation officials.
ESPN has put up an article in the form of Questions and Answers, going into details why the Croatian hooligans are not to be compared with the Russian ones, and again describing the nature of the Croatian Football officials reign.
Associated Press published an overview of the events, making the point not much looked into where the Croatian media is concerned, about the racist behavior of Croatian fans. Also, AP has written the following: “Many believe the repeated disorder is an attempt to provoke UEFA and FIFA to act in order to shame Suker and other officials linked to Dinamo Zagreb.”
At the end of the overview, one Croatian media, net.hr talked with FARE director, Piara Powar, who is working with UEFA on this case. He said that the fine will be harsh, but that it will solve nothing as they are aware of the problem, and he calls for the problem to be solved within Croatia itself.
On that note, what is the solution? Without getting into the deep analysis of the problem, as we did yesterday, here is a simple solution, which should be quite obvious. Obeying the law. Or, better yet, the Croatian state should start enforcing the law.
There is an anti-hooligan Act in Croatia, and even though it is not perfect, if enforced, it would stop the hooligans on a larger scale. And there is a Sport Act, and if it were enforced by the government, officials in question would not be able to stay in their positions, and there would be no agenda for those hooligans in the first place.
And if our foreign readers are wondering how is it possible for the law not to be enforced by the government of a sovereign state, all we can say is: Welcome to Croatia.
