Hooligan violence worries Serbia

22/10/2010
Serbian hooliganism in Belgrade and Genoa finds allies in Tirana.
By Bojana Milovanovic for Southeast European Times in Belgrade -- 22/10/10

News of Serbian hooliganism is reminiscent of the turbulent 1990s, when incidents in Serbia were often featured in the world media.
This time around, violence erupted in Belgrade during the Gay Pride parade on October 10th and two days later in Genoa, Italy, where football hooligans burned an Albanian flag and rioted, causing the cancellation of the Italy-Serbia football match.
Albanian hooligans soon responded by burning a Serbian flag outside the Serbian Embassy in Tirana, and also desecrated a Macedonian flag in Kicevo.
Gay Pride parade violence was expected. A variety of groups announced their intentions via graffiti and posters reading "We are waiting for you".
The Serbian public reacted with concern. Bloggers debate the causes and consequences of the Belgrade and Genoa riots, the links between them and the likely financiers. Opinions are divided.
Sone sums up the general feeling of embarrassment. "Everyone at work is asking me whether we are even normal."
Petar replies that those who pose such questions should contrast similar Western attitudes. He argues the events were a conspiracy. "The whole thing was staged and we will soon find out by whom ... The intention was to degrade everything that is Serbian and has anything to do with roots and tradition," he said.
Gradjanka is exasperated with hooligans parroting ideas they don't understand. She has concluded their blog comments are a political protest against the EU and its stand on Kosovo.
"Why did you go to Italy if you are against the EU? And what does our goalkeeper have to do with Kosovo?" she asked. Before the game, hooligans had stormed the team bus and assaulted goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic for deciding to join the Partizan football club -- a bitter rival of Red Star Belgrade. "I've had enough of your 'great Serbianism'. Go to work in a field somewhere, do forced labour and contribute a little to this society."
Kole agrees. "Kosovo should be defended in Kosovo, not in Italy," he said. "What happened is a big disgrace."
Goran is more practical and calls on the courts and prosecutors to "wake up". He calls for quick trials and for confiscating the hooligans' property to cover damage caused by the rioting.

"The links between sporting clubs, these so-called fans and transporters should also be investigated. We need to see who is financing those trips and the rioting in Europe and Belgrade."
The burning of the Serbian flag in Tirana did not attract much media attention.
This caused some, like Nesa, to criticise Serbian officials -- President Boris Tadic in particular -- for using a double standard. "Why didn't he send a protest note to the Albanian ambassador immediately?" she asked.
Peacemen agrees. "The whole thing is sad ... Our media seem to like to condemn their own people and defend others. What the Albanians did was barely even seen and heard in the media, whereas the two flares thrown [from the stands onto the pitch] in Genoa, according to FIFA officials, were reminiscent of Heysel?!", he complained referring to the 1985 stadium incident in which 39 people died. "How far will all this go?"
This content was commissioned for SETimes.com.

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