To be fair, this is not the first time Croatian hooliganism has caught the eye of international media.
Whether it is between the Bad Blue Boys and Torcida or Armada, or by Croatian fans in protest of the football federation, Croatia is no stranger to hooliganism in football.
While the long-standing rivalry between Zagreb’s lower-league football teams NK Ponikve and NK Karlovac 1919 does not come to a surprise to many of us in Croatia, the brutal account of the fans after one match was so shocking it drew the attention of popular UK tabloids The Sun and The Mirror on October 10, 2017.
Although the match between the two clubs ended 2:1 for NK Ponikve, fans of the Zagreb club are said to be seeking revenge against Karlovac after they were on the receiving end of violence last season. Therefore, leading up to this latest act of violence.
Football hooligans violently attack rival fans armed with flares in shocking footage https://t.co/uPqI7olUWt pic.twitter.com/HMjU85UeC8
— The Sun Football ⚽ (@TheSunFootball) October 11, 2017
Under the title “FLARE UP: Croatian football hooligans violently attack rival fans armed with flares in shocking footage,” The Sun writes:
“After the match Ponikva fans are seen in a video pursuing Karlovac supports down the street.
Some Ponikva hooligans are clearly seen carrying hand-held flares. One catches a Karlovac fan and throws him to the floor. He then appears to thrust the lit flare in his face.”
While the victim was able to escape to join other violence, all of the hooligans had fled by the time the cops arrived, and no arrests were made.
You can watch the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v=jfNQiA0tFmw
