Fans chant pro‑Nazi slogans in Split

What's happened

Thousands of Hajduk Split supporters have marched through Split before a UEFA Conference League match with Ajax, chanting antisemitic and pro‑Nazi slogans, displaying a coffin labelled "Ajax" and forcing a lengthy stoppage during the game. Croatian authorities have arrested and charged multiple suspects; political leaders, rights groups and the Israeli embassy have condemned the incident and the club has apologised.

What's behind the headline?

What happened and why it matters

Groups of Hajduk Split supporters have marched through Split, chanting explicit antisemitic slogans, praising Adolf Hitler and calling for Ustasha revival. They paraded behind a car carrying a mock coffin labelled "Ajax," then set off flares and threw objects that halted the match for around 10–12 minutes. The behaviour has public and political consequences.

Who is accountable

• Police have arrested and charged multiple suspects; prosecutors will handle criminal cases that carry prison terms. This will test whether Croatian institutions will deliver sustained, visible punishments.
• Hajduk Split has apologised to UEFA and Ajax but the club is also facing disciplinary action that will likely include fines or stadium sanctions.

Political and social impact

• Senior political figures and the Israeli embassy have condemned the chants. This will increase pressure on the government to act, especially after repeated incidents in recent years.
• The episode will intensify debate inside Croatia about tolerance for Ustasha symbols and whether authorities have enforced bans consistently.

Forecast

• UEFA will pursue disciplinary measures against Hajduk and could escalate sanctions if investigations show organiser culpability.
• Prosecutors will push some cases to trial; convictions and prison sentences for incitement would signal tougher enforcement.
• If authorities fail to secure convictions or deliver meaningful club sanctions, nationalist groups will interpret that as permissive and such incidents will continue to recur.

Immediate consequence for Croatian football

The incident will damage Croatia's international image and will likely lead UEFA and foreign clubs to press for stronger preventative measures at future fixtures.

How we got here

Hajduk Split's hardcore Torcida group has a history of extremist chants and displays. Croatia has faced recurring problems with Ustasha symbols and pro‑Nazi glorification; UEFA has sanctioned Croatian football before for similar conduct.

Our analysis

Local and international outlets report the same core facts but emphasise different details. The Times of Israel documented the chants in precise terms — quoting the slogans “Crush the Jews,” “Rise up Adolf” and “Let’s go Ustasha” — and noted that police have charged 23 people and that the Israeli embassy was “deeply shocked.” AP News and Al Jazeera described the march behind a car carrying a coffin labelled “Ajax” and said police had arrested a number of suspects (AP noted 12 arrests initially). BBC Business highlighted human‑rights commentary from Croatia’s ombudswoman, Tena Simonovic Einwalter, who called the episode a “manifestation of hatred and intolerance” and warned that similar behaviour has intensified after weak official responses. Those differences matter: Times of Israel focuses on antisemitic language and legal steps; AP and Al Jazeera foreground public disorder and stadium disruption; BBC adds institutional criticism and past failures to deter extremist displays. Together they show a pattern: explicit antisemitic provocation, immediate policing and arrests, broad official condemnation, and a longer debate about enforcement and national memory.

Go deeper

• What specific charges have prosecutors filed and what penalties do they carry?
• What disciplinary action will UEFA impose on Hajduk Split?
• How will Croatian authorities address online threats against journalists?

More on these topics

• Croatia - Country in the Balkans

  Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Southeast Europe. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro to the southeast, sharing a maritime border with Ital

• Adolf Hitler

  Adolf Hitler was a German politician and leader of the Nazi Party. He rose to power as the chancellor of Germany in 1933 and then as Führer in 1934.

• UEFA Conference League - Conference

  The UEFA Europa Conference League, colloquially referred to as UEFA Conference League, is a planned annual football club competition held by UEFA for eligible European football clubs.

• Nazism - Political ideology

  National Socialism, more commonly known as Nazism, is the ideology and practices associated with the Nazi Party—officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party —in Nazi Germany, and of other far-right groups with similar ideas and aims.

• Israel - Country in the Middle East

  Israel, formally known as the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea.

• Zagreb - Capital of Croatia

  Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of Croatia. It is located in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately 122 m above sea level. The estimate

• World War II - War

  World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all the great powers—forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis.

• Zoran Milanović - Croatian politician

  Zoran Milanović (pronounced [zǒran milǎːnoʋitɕ] (listen); born 30 October 1966) is a Croatian politician serving as President of Croatia since 19 February 2020. Prior to assuming the presidency, he was prime minister from 2011 to 2016 and president

• Split - City in Croatia

  Split is Croatia's second-largest city and the largest city in the Dalmatia region, with about 250,000 urban inhabitants. It lies on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea and is spread over a central peninsula and its surroundings.

• Ajax - Wikimedia disambiguation page

  Ajax may refer to: