It's time to make it clear to the criminals of Torcide: the club and the city are not yours, you don't need a stadium, you need cells!

A group of fans associated with the football club Hajduk in Split, Croatia, sparked controversy during a match against Ajax on October 15, 2026. The incident occurred before the game at Poljud Stadium and involved the chanting of antisemitic and Nazi-related slogans. Among the chants were calls to "kill Jews," references to the Auschwitz concentration camp, and mentions of Adolf Hitler. The group also carried a banner bearing the name "Ajax" which was later destroyed. The behavior led to a 12-minute interruption of the match due to the use of pyrotechnics such as torches and firecrackers. The match eventually resumed and ended with a 2-1 victory for Hajduk. The incident drew widespread condemnation both domestically and internationally. Foreign media outlets from the Netherlands, Poland, and Slovenia reported on the event, highlighting the inappropriate conduct of some Hajduk supporters. The Dutch website VoetbalPrimeur published an article titled "Worst Hajduk Fans Chant Bizarre Slogans, Police React Immediately." It noted that the fans were identified as chanting antisemitic and Nazi-related phrases, including "Kill the Jews," "Auschwitz, Auschwitz," and "Rise, Adolf Hitler." The article also mentioned that the police had launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident and the identification of those responsible. Another Dutch site, FCUpdate.nl, published an article titled "Scandalous Chanting Before the Hajduk-Ajax Match." It stated that social media had spread videos showing the chanting of antisemitic and Nazi-related songs. The article highlighted the controversial shouts, the banner with the name "Ajax," and the police investigation into the incident. In Slovenia, the newspaper Dnevnik published an article titled "Fans Shouted 'Auschwitz, Auschwitz' and 'Rise, Adolf!'". It described how the fans shouted antisemitic, Nazi, and Ustasha slogans, including calls for violence against Jews, and referenced Auschwitz and Adolf Hitler. The article also mentioned the banner with the name "Ajax" and the police investigation into the incident. In Poland, the sports newspaper Przegląd Sportowy, published on the Onet portal, wrote an article titled "Rise, Adolf! They Chanted About Auschwitz. Behavior in the Conference League Caused Great Attention." Polish journalists described the chants related to the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz, Hitler, and the Ustasha movement, as well as the chanting calling for violence against Jews. They emphasized the banner with the name "Ajax," which was transported on a car and later broken and torn. The article also recalled a similar incident from 1995 and reported that the Croatian police had initiated an investigation into possible punishable shouts. Croatian media also covered the incident extensively. The newspaper N1 Hrvatska reported that the incident has raised questions about tolerance for extremism in society. Minister of Internal Affairs Davor Božinović commented on the incident, stating that there is broad consensus regarding the actions taken on the streets of Split. He expressed hope that society would soon take effective and swift action to sanction those responsible. Božinović noted that if 150 cases of violations had been resolved quickly this year, such scenes might have been avoided or at least reduced significantly. Božinović also addressed concerns about the police's handling of the situation, clarifying that the control of items brought into stadiums, including pyrotechnics, is not the responsibility of the police but of special security services employed by clubs. He stated that the police act upon individuals suspected of carrying such items. Regarding footage showing members of the intervention police plugging their ears and not reacting to fireworks, Božinović stated he was unaware of these clips but affirmed that the intervention and special police units had performed their duties effectively over three days, contributing to Croatia remaining one of the safest countries in the world. Hajduk issued an apology following the incident, expressing regret for the behavior of some of its fans. In a statement, the club acknowledged its responsibility and apologized to those who attended the match to support the team after its return to European competitions after 16 years. The club also extended its apologies to the organizers of the competition, the management, and players of Ajax, emphasizing that it did not want to be remembered for such incidents. Despite the apology, the club faces potential sanctions from UEFA for the disruption caused during the match. The second round of the competition will see Hajduk hosting the Swiss side Thun on October 22.