A story of hooligans ruining Bosnian football
20 April 2024
Football hooliganism, rooted in violence based on ethnic divisions and deep social traumas, is haunting Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Last weekend, derbies took place in the Bosnian football league: one in Sarajevo between FC Željezničar and FC Sarajevo, and another in Mostar between FC Zrinjski and FC Velez. Tensions ran high on the pitch over championship points, but outside the stadiums, the police were prepared for war.
Nowadays, almost all football matches in BiH and the Balkans are marred by clashes among hooligan groups. Better known as "Ultras," hundreds of young men are prepared to fight both each other and the police, resulting in burned cars, injuries, demolished city neighborhoods and sometimes deaths. This truly affects the entire Balkans: just a few weeks ago, 51 people were arrested in Split, Croatia after more civil unrest caused by football hooliganism.
In BiH, hooligans are also caught up in ethnic divisions and social unrest, serving as muscle for political extremists during rallies and protests.
 | Alessandro Cinciripini Football turned dark in a region where matches were once a charming Sunday tradition for many families and children. Today, hooliganism is also an outcry of a generation lost in transition, facing unemployment and a lack of prospects for their future, living in a polarised society where true post-war reconciliation is yet to take place. |
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