Thursday , March 28 2024

EFA fine Croatia Football Federation £77,000 over crowd disorder in Euro 2016

Croatia have escaped with a ban of £77,000 from UEFA after the barrage of flares, firecrackers and crowd fighting which brought their game against the Czech Republic to a halt.

There will also be a ban on ticket sales to certain hooligans identified by the Croatian FA which will last until the end of the Euro 2016 tournament.

UEFA’s control ethics and disciplinary body issued the sanctions on Monday but stopped short of issuing threats of disqualification as they did with Russia following violence inside the stadium at Marseille after the England game.

The unsavoury scenes have meant that Croatia have been handed a £77,000 fine for the trouble

Gerard Pique insisted on Monday there must be no repeat and urged Croatian supporters to show more respect during Tuesday’s against Spain, in Bordeaux.

‘We understand football is a spectacle and a show for the fans,’ said Pique, who will win his 80th cap for Spain. ‘We don’t accept any kind of violence in football and we hope all the fans can respect this game, the players and the fans who are enjoying the game.

‘Think about the kids and the families in the stadium. These events cannot be repeated and I hope for the good of football and sport everything is at an end and it never happens again.’

UEFA are set to tighten security in a bid to prevent supporters smuggling flares and fireworks into the stadium in Bordeaux.

There are fears because some Croatian fans, locked in a long-standing protest about what they claim is corruption inside the football authorities in their country, have threatened more trouble and have vowed to keep disrupting games until they see change at the Croatian FA, even if it means their team is ejected from Euro 2016.

The fixture between Croatia and the Czech Republic in Saint-Etienne on Friday was suspended near the end of the game as more than a dozen flares and fireworks were cleared from the pitch.

Flares were also thrown onto the pitch, delaying the game between Croatia and Czech Republic

Flares litter the pitch as fire marshals rush in to remove them during the European Championship clash 

One exploded near a steward’s face as he tried to remove it from the pitch. Croatia were leading at the time but the Czechs equalised after the stoppage to draw 2-2.

There were also outbreaks of fighting among the fans in the stadium and, after the match, Croatia manager Ante Cacic said he was ‘ashamed’ of the culprits and branded them ‘hooligans’ and ‘soccer terrorists’.

Spain boss Vicente del Bosque agreed: ‘This has nothing to do with football. They are taking advantage to create a huge fuss. Football is sport and the integrity of sport is very important.’

Albania and Romania were also charged by UEFA for offences by their fans during the game on Sunday, which include throwing missiles and lighting fireworks.

Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic (left) feared Croatia could be thrown out of Euro 2016 after the crowd trouble 

Croatian Football Federation has been prohibited from selling tickets to 'certain fans' identified as 'hooligans' 

Nine different countries have been charged with offences relating to the behaviour of their supporters inside the stadiums since the tournament started.

Del Bosque’s team have already qualified for the last-16 and need a point to be sure of winning Group D.

Croatia can leapfrog Spain if they win but only require a point to finish in the top two and be sure of advancing into the knock-out rounds.

Neither team was able to train at the stadium in Bordeaux on Monday. The pitch, like those in Marseille and Lille, is in poor condition after a period of heavy rain. Ukraine and Poland were unable to train at the stadium in Marseilles ahead of their game on Tuesday.

Croatia coach Ante Cacic described the individuals responsible for the trouble as 'sports terrorists'

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