Hajduk President Marin Brbić was very calm and reasoned the morning following the Kantrida match and its aftermath
"Let us be calm, this leads nowhere," said the President. "We must work together to reduce tension, and not inflame them."
Brbić confided that he was due in Zagreb on business after the match, yet had to remain at the stadium for an hour and a half after, as the police could not guarantee the safety of anyone with Split license plates. "I drove right behind the bus with the players," adds the Hajduk supremo.
When the Hajduk caravan reached Opatija, they were greeted by glassware thrown at them from a terrace where a wedding reception was underway. The president did not reach the hotel until the police had already come and gone and was therefore not in a position to comment in detail. However, his general judgement of this situation was as follows:
"I am not trying to justify any wrongdoing, and pelting people with lit flares cannot be condemned severely enough. But why is everyone always trying to shift the blame to the other side?"
Brbić continues:
"I was approached by a television team after the match. They asked me to comment on the fact that Torcida was the first group to throw flares. No, they were not the first, I replied. Armada was the first, on the other side. Much speculation seems to be taking place around this, as if we did not all see where the first flares were lit and thrown. I condemn the behavior of anyone whose stadium behavior endangers others, and this must include any individuals found among our own fans.
"These flares have no place on football games. The question begs to be asked, how did all these fireworks make it onto the stands? There can be no justification for attacking each other with lit flares, but perhaps preventive action could have been taken? Perhaps the two groups of fans could have been better kept apart. They certainly do need to be kept apart, something like this could never happen in Split."
The president conluded:
"I have no grievance over the behavior of any official representatives from the Rijeka club. They greeted us and hosted us courteously. I repeat, we must all together act to prevent such outbreaks and to calm tensions. I appeal to our fans to refrain from using flares and fireworks already at the match against Split. Let us have no more injuries on the people whose work takes them onto the athletics track, and let us show ourselves in a new and better light."
Dalmacija News
