By Mark Baber
June 15 – Croatia faces severe sanctions from UEFA, possibly including disqualification from Euro 2016, after their televised qualifier against Italy, played behind closed doors in Split due to earlier incidents of racism by Croatian supporters, went ahead with a swastika marked out on the pitch.
According to media reports the swastika was first brought to the attention of UEFA by Italian FA officials around the time the game began. A Croatian FA security officer Zoran Cvrk said: “We were informed about the swastika right before the beginning of the match so we tried to do something at half-time.”
So, incredibly, despite a giant swastika being emblazoned on a pitch during a televised match which was being held behind closed doors due to previous racist incidents, the game continued with groundsmen attempting, but failing, to remove the markings at half-time.
The game was eventually drawn 1-1 (largely due to some appalling decision making by the team of English officials in charge), a result which leaves Croatia at the top of their qualifying group, although for how long given the circumstances is a matter of conjecture.
Croatian football officials were, as usual, quick to present themselves as victims in the matter with FA president Davor Suker saying: “I feel bad because it should have been a spectacle but it was not. I feel sorry for the coaches and the players and I request the government do whatever it takes and help football. Now we have to face a disciplinary committee again.
“I hope hooligans will not win, we want someone here to protect football, Croatia and the city of Split.”
Following the imposition of the closed door sanction, the Croatian FA incorrectly blamed an anti-racism campaigner for bringing the problem of racist chanting to the attention of UEFA, despite the history of Nazi sentiment expressed by Croatian fans which included 200 of them lining up in swastika formation on the terraces in a game against Italy in Livorno 2006. The ineffectiveness of the Croatian Football Federation in tackling the problem is unsurprising given that Suker himself has been photographed paying his respects at the tomb of the fascist Ustase leader and war criminal Ante Pavelic in Madrid.
Executive president of the Croatian FA, Damir Vrbanovi, described the swastika markings as “a disgrace to Croatia,” claiming: “We had been to the pitch in the morning, nothing was visible, we told that to the match official.”
A Croatian Football Federation press officer, Tomislav Pacak made an apology in an official statement, describing it as “an obvious act of sabotage and a criminal act,” whilst claiming that: “Technically speaking, a chemical agent was used on the field 24 to 48 hours before the kick-off, timed to be visible during the qualifying match.”
UEFA’s disciplinary committee may finally come down heavily on Croatia this time around as this latest incident is likely to be regarded as yet another example of recidivism and punished under UEFA Code of Conduct Article 14 on Racism, other Discriminatory conduct and Propaganda which states that “any subsequent offence is punished with more than one match behind closed doors, a stadium closure, the forfeiting of a match, the deduction of points or disqualification from the competition.”
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