Croatia Arrests Hajduk Fans After Antisemitic Chants Before Ajax Match
Croatian police arrested at least 12 Hajduk Split supporters on 16 October 2026 after antisemitic chants and praise for Adolf Hitler before a match against Ajax. Croatia’s president, government and Israel’s embassy condemned the conduct.
The rally preceded Hajduk’s 2-1 victory over Ajax at Split’s Poljud stadium on 15 October. The fixture was in the UEFA Conference League, not the Europa League.
Police investigate incitement to hatred
Associated Press reported that police arrested 12 people on suspicion of inciting violence and hatred, with the possibility of further arrests. Supporters associated with the Torcida fan group had marched through Split while chanting against Jews and praising Hitler. The march also featured a mock coffin bearing Ajax’s name.
That action was separate from earlier detentions connected to clashes around the match. The counts should not be added together as though every person had been detained for the same alleged offense. An arrest also does not establish a suspect’s guilt.
The game itself was interrupted for about 12 minutes amid flares and disorder. It resumed and finished with a home victory; the interruption was not an abandonment of the fixture.
Croatia’s president demands more than condemnation
President Zoran Milanović said in a statement on 16 October that glorifying Nazi and Ustasha rule required an urgent, sustained response from police, prosecutors and courts. He called for concrete measures and sanctions, arguing that repeated expressions of disapproval were no longer enough.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković’s government also condemned the conduct. The Israeli embassy expressed concern over the antisemitic display, while the Croatian Football Federation said such behavior damaged football’s values and reputation, according to AFP and AP.
Hajduk’s management distanced the club from the supporters’ actions and expressed regret, AP reported. The reactions came from different institutions with different responsibilities: government officials addressed public order and hate speech, while football bodies faced questions about supporter conduct and match security.
The chants invoked a murderous history
The slogans went beyond hostility toward a visiting team. They targeted Jews and praised the Nazi leader responsible for the Holocaust. Ajax’s longstanding association with Amsterdam’s Jewish community helps explain the reference, but does not make antisemitic abuse a normal form of sporting rivalry.
Milanović also condemned celebration of the Ustasha, the fascist movement that ruled the wartime Croatian state allied with Nazi Germany. Its persecution and mass killing of Serbs, Jews and Roma give those references a specific historical meaning, rather than making them generic insults.
Criminal inquiries and football discipline are separate
Police investigations concern individual conduct and possible criminal liability. Any UEFA disciplinary process would address matters within European football’s rules. One process does not automatically determine the outcome of the other.
Israel News Pulse could not independently find an announced UEFA ruling or a confirmed disciplinary hearing date by the preparation of this article on 16 October. The verified developments are the arrests, the official condemnations and the completed match; a specific fine, stadium restriction or future decision date cannot yet be stated.
Ajax’s next Conference League home fixture is against Atalanta at the Johan Cruijff ArenA on Thursday, 22 October. The stadium lists kickoff at 21:00 in Amsterdam, or 22:00 in Israel.
