Some Croatia fans won’t win many new friends when they return home from the 2016 UEFA European Championship.
Croatia fans temporarily halted the Euro 2016 Group D game against the Czech Republic by littering the field with road flares and other objects on Friday at Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium in Saint-Étienne, France.
The most shocking scene came when one of the flares exploded inches away from a steward as he tried to remove it from the turf.
https://twitter.com/JamesPorteous/status/743862893565751296
The moment a match official was struck by a flare #CZECROpic.twitter.com/F9iPimVQrxhttps://t.co/RbJzHwwk0l
— Telegraph Football (@TeleFootball) June 17, 2016
https://twitter.com/obrannt/status/743862220388507648
There currently is no report on the steward’s condition.
The offenders couldn’t have picked a worse time to steal the limelight, as Croatia was leading 2-1 in the 86th minute when they started throwing the objects. Their antics delayed the game for around four minutes, and Croatia’s players pleaded with them to stop. At one point, the referee appeared to consider taking the teams off the field, but Croatia’s players helped convince him not to do so.
Maybe Croatia should have let the referee decide himself. When play resumed, Croatia defender Domagoj Vida committed a handball inside his own penalty area. Tomas Necid scored on the penalty kick, drawing the Czech Republic onto level terms.
Croatia coach Ante Cacic blasted the fans, according to The BBC’s Tom Rostance.
Croatia coach Ante Cacic; "These people are really scary hooligans. These are not really Croatian supporters. These are sports terrorists."
— Tom Rostance (@TJRostance) June 17, 2016
#CRO coach Ante Cacic: "I call it terror. They're hooligans. They're not fans. They don't belong in the stadium." pic.twitter.com/CYcplZ6QZr
— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) June 17, 2016
UEFA said after the game it would open disciplinary proceedings against Croatia’s Football Federation for failing to control its fans, according to The Associated Press.
