At least 65 people, including 24 police...
At least 65 people, including 24 police officers, were injured when police used batons and tear gas to break up violent clashes inspired by national hatred between Serb and Croat fans in Zagreb, Yugoslavia, before a major soccer league match.
The fighting, described as the worst rioting in the history of Yugoslav sports, started at the Maksimir stadium before the match between the local Dinamo club and Belgrade’s Red Star.
Witnesses and the state Tanjug news agency said the riots later spilled outside the stadium. Thousands of fans attacked and smashed police cars and erected barricades, blocking traffic.
The official delegate at the match, Ljubomir Bracanovic, said in a television interview the disturbances started when Red Star fans from the Yugoslav republic of Serbia started wrecking plastic seats on the stands.
The rival Croat Dinamo supporters, known as “The Bad Blue Boys,” reacted by crashing through metal fences separating them from the pitch and charging in the direction of Belgrade fans on the opposite side of the stadium.
The match was called off following the unrest that erupted about 10 minutes before the game was scheduled to start.
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