Dinamo Zagreb-Red Star Belgrade riot
Encyclopedia
The Dinamo Zagreb–Red Star Belgrade riot was a football riot
that took place on May 13, 1990 at Maksimir Stadium
in Zagreb
, Croatia
between the Bad Blue Boys
(fans of Dinamo Zagreb
) and the Delije
("heroes"; fans of Red Star Belgrade
). The incident took place just weeks after Croatia's first multi-party elections
in almost 50 years in which the parties favouring Croatian independence had won the majority of votes. The riot resulted in over 60 people wounded, including some stabbed, shot and poisoned by tear gas.
football league
and often won the national championships. In 1990, this took an even worse character due to rising ethnic tensions in Yugoslavia. The first multi-party elections were held in most of Yugoslavia and communism
was ousted in favour of more national-oriented parties. The second round of voting in Croatia was held on May 6, when the Croatian Democratic Union
(HDZ) won under Franjo Tuđman. Slovenia
and Croatia, under new leadership, were the leading forces behind a drive to reorganize Yugoslavia into a confederation, but were opposed by Serbia
under Slobodan Milošević
and the still powerful Communist system at state-level.
Approximately 3,000 Delije
made the trip to Zagreb. They were led by Željko Ražnatović
(also known as "Arkan"), a Serbian
nationalist and criminal wanted by Interpol
. Between 15,000 to 20,000 spectators were estimated to have attended the game.
) and Red Star (Delije
) fans. However, the real trouble took place within the Maksimir
stadium itself. Provoked by stones being thrown at them by the Bad Blue Boys
, Delije
, placed in the stadium's segregated area reserved for visiting fans, began to tear the advertising hoardings and eventually made their way towards the Dinamo fans, attacking them with torn-off seats and knives, and singing Serbia
n nationalist chants like "Zagreb is Serbia" and "We'll kill Tuđman".
The Bad Blue Boys
- incensed by the actions of their rivals - attempted to storm the field half an hour later, but were quickly pushed back by the police; restraint methods used by the police included baton striking and tear gas. Within minutes, the situation spiraled beyond control as the BBB could no longer be held back by the police, and soon took to the field to reach their Serbian counterparts. All the while, the police were quickly overwhelmed by the large numbers, but came back with reinforcements, armoured vans and water cannons to disperse the violence. More than an hour later, with hundreds injured, the running battles were all over.
, the Dinamo's captain, kicked a police officer Refik Ahmetović who was attacking a Dinamo supporter. The Bad Blue Boys soon came to Boban's defence, acting as bodyguards. For this act alone, Boban was proclaimed a national hero of Croatia, but also attained a Croatian nationalist
reputation in Serbia. He was suspended by the Yugoslav Football Association for six months and had criminal charges filed against him, although the officer he attacked (who turned out to be a Bosnian Muslim
) publicly forgave him for his actions several years later.
. After the playing the entire following 1990-91 season clubs from Slovenia
and Croatia
withdrew. The league lasted for one more season after that as by the end of 1991-92 season the country disintegrated.
Though it occurred full year-and-a-half before the start of hostilities, in Croatia, the riot is also symbolically seen (and in some sections of Croatian society even celebrated) as the start of the Croatian War of Independence
.
Football hooliganism
Football hooliganism, sometimes referred to by the British media as the English Disease, is unruly and destructive behaviour—such as brawls, vandalism and intimidation—by association football club fans...
that took place on May 13, 1990 at Maksimir Stadium
Maksimir Stadium
Maksimir Stadium is a stadium in the Croatian capital of Zagreb. It takes its name from the neighbourhood of Maksimir. It is primarily the home of Dinamo Zagreb, the top football team in the country. It is also home to Dinamo Zagreb's farm team NK Lokomotiva....
in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is 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 above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
between the Bad Blue Boys
Bad Blue Boys
Bad Blue Boys are an Ultras group who support the Croatian football club GNK Dinamo Zagreb.-History:Bad Blue Boys were originally founded on 17 March 1986 in Zagreb , with members from different areas of Zagreb...
(fans of Dinamo Zagreb
Dinamo Zagreb
GNK Dinamo Zagreb, commonly referred to as Dinamo Zagreb , or by their nickname Modri are a Croatian football club based in Zagreb. They play their home matches at Stadion Maksimir. They are the most successful club in Croatian football, having won thirteen Croatian championship titles, ten...
) and the Delije
Delije
Delije roughly translated to English as Heroes is an umbrella name referring to the supporters of various sports clubs that compete under Red Star Belgrade Sports Society banner....
("heroes"; fans of Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is a part of the Red Star Sports Society.Red Star Belgrade is the most successful Serbian club, with a record of 25 national championships and 23 national cups in both Serbian and ex-Yugoslav competitions...
). The incident took place just weeks after Croatia's first multi-party elections
Croatian parliamentary election, 1990
Parliamentary elections were held in Croatia on 22 April 1990, with a second round of voting on 6 May. The first free elections since multi-party politics were introduced, they resulted in a victory for the Croatian Democratic Union, which won 55 of the 80 seats...
in almost 50 years in which the parties favouring Croatian independence had won the majority of votes. The riot resulted in over 60 people wounded, including some stabbed, shot and poisoned by tear gas.
Lead up to the match
Tension between the two teams was always high as they consistently placed at the top of the YugoslavSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
football league
Yugoslav First League
The Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and socialist Yugoslavia...
and often won the national championships. In 1990, this took an even worse character due to rising ethnic tensions in Yugoslavia. The first multi-party elections were held in most of Yugoslavia and communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
was ousted in favour of more national-oriented parties. The second round of voting in Croatia was held on May 6, when the Croatian Democratic Union
Croatian Democratic Union
The Croatian Democratic Union is the main center-right political party in Croatia. It is the biggest and strongest individual Croatian party since independence of Croatia. The Christian democratic HDZ governed Croatia from 1990 to 2000 and, in partial coalition, from 2003...
(HDZ) won under Franjo Tuđman. Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
and Croatia, under new leadership, were the leading forces behind a drive to reorganize Yugoslavia into a confederation, but were opposed by Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
under Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević was President of Serbia and Yugoslavia. He served as the President of Socialist Republic of Serbia and Republic of Serbia from 1989 until 1997 in three terms and as President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000...
and the still powerful Communist system at state-level.
Approximately 3,000 Delije
Delije
Delije roughly translated to English as Heroes is an umbrella name referring to the supporters of various sports clubs that compete under Red Star Belgrade Sports Society banner....
made the trip to Zagreb. They were led by Željko Ražnatović
Željko Ražnatovic
Željko Ražnatović , widely known as Arkan was a Serbian career criminal and later a paramilitary leader who was notable for organizing and leading a paramilitary force in the Yugoslav Wars...
(also known as "Arkan"), a Serbian
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
nationalist and criminal wanted by Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
. Between 15,000 to 20,000 spectators were estimated to have attended the game.
The clash
Up to several hours before the game even began, there were already a number of fights in the streets between Dinamo (Bad Blue BoysBad Blue Boys
Bad Blue Boys are an Ultras group who support the Croatian football club GNK Dinamo Zagreb.-History:Bad Blue Boys were originally founded on 17 March 1986 in Zagreb , with members from different areas of Zagreb...
) and Red Star (Delije
Delije
Delije roughly translated to English as Heroes is an umbrella name referring to the supporters of various sports clubs that compete under Red Star Belgrade Sports Society banner....
) fans. However, the real trouble took place within the Maksimir
Maksimir Stadium
Maksimir Stadium is a stadium in the Croatian capital of Zagreb. It takes its name from the neighbourhood of Maksimir. It is primarily the home of Dinamo Zagreb, the top football team in the country. It is also home to Dinamo Zagreb's farm team NK Lokomotiva....
stadium itself. Provoked by stones being thrown at them by the Bad Blue Boys
Bad Blue Boys
Bad Blue Boys are an Ultras group who support the Croatian football club GNK Dinamo Zagreb.-History:Bad Blue Boys were originally founded on 17 March 1986 in Zagreb , with members from different areas of Zagreb...
, Delije
Delije
Delije roughly translated to English as Heroes is an umbrella name referring to the supporters of various sports clubs that compete under Red Star Belgrade Sports Society banner....
, placed in the stadium's segregated area reserved for visiting fans, began to tear the advertising hoardings and eventually made their way towards the Dinamo fans, attacking them with torn-off seats and knives, and singing Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n nationalist chants like "Zagreb is Serbia" and "We'll kill Tuđman".
The Bad Blue Boys
Bad Blue Boys
Bad Blue Boys are an Ultras group who support the Croatian football club GNK Dinamo Zagreb.-History:Bad Blue Boys were originally founded on 17 March 1986 in Zagreb , with members from different areas of Zagreb...
- incensed by the actions of their rivals - attempted to storm the field half an hour later, but were quickly pushed back by the police; restraint methods used by the police included baton striking and tear gas. Within minutes, the situation spiraled beyond control as the BBB could no longer be held back by the police, and soon took to the field to reach their Serbian counterparts. All the while, the police were quickly overwhelmed by the large numbers, but came back with reinforcements, armoured vans and water cannons to disperse the violence. More than an hour later, with hundreds injured, the running battles were all over.
Boban's kick
Amidst all the chaos, several Dinamo players still remained on the field, the Red Star players having already left for the locker rooms. Zvonimir BobanZvonimir Boban
Zvonimir Boban is a Croatian former football midfielder who played most of his professional career for Serie A club Milan, with whom he won four Serie A titles and the Champions League. He was a member of the Croatia national team which attained third place at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, with Boban...
, the Dinamo's captain, kicked a police officer Refik Ahmetović who was attacking a Dinamo supporter. The Bad Blue Boys soon came to Boban's defence, acting as bodyguards. For this act alone, Boban was proclaimed a national hero of Croatia, but also attained a Croatian nationalist
Croatian nationalism
Croatian nationalism is the nationalism of Croats or of Croatian culture. It arose in the 19th century in response to Magyarization of Croat territories under Hungarian rule, especially under the influence of Ante Starčević and Eugen Kvaternik,...
reputation in Serbia. He was suspended by the Yugoslav Football Association for six months and had criminal charges filed against him, although the officer he attacked (who turned out to be a Bosnian Muslim
Bosniaks
The Bosniaks or Bosniacs are a South Slavic ethnic group, living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a smaller minority also present in other lands of the Balkan Peninsula especially in Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia...
) publicly forgave him for his actions several years later.
Aftermath
The riot marked the beginning of the end for the Yugoslav First LeagueYugoslav First League
The Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and socialist Yugoslavia...
. After the playing the entire following 1990-91 season clubs from Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
and Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
withdrew. The league lasted for one more season after that as by the end of 1991-92 season the country disintegrated.
Though it occurred full year-and-a-half before the start of hostilities, in Croatia, the riot is also symbolically seen (and in some sections of Croatian society even celebrated) as the start of the Croatian War of Independence
Croatian War of Independence
The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between forces loyal to the government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia —and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army and local Serb forces, with the JNA ending its combat...
.