Eight fans have been detained for questioning and face charges of spreading racial hatred following a Serbian first division match on Saturday, police said.
Fans in the central Serbian city of Cacak racially abused Zimbabwean striker Mike Tawmanyera during a league match between local club Borac and Vozdovac Belgrade.
”Eight fans have been kept in detention and will be charged with spreading racial hatred and intolerance while the 29 who were released will answer for disorderly conduct in a football match,” police told the Beta news agency.
The fans wore white hoods with Ku Klux Klan insignia and held banners saying ”Go away from here because nobody likes you” and ”The south will rise again.”
They also raised their arms in a Nazi salute and the match was then held up for 10 minutes midway through the first half for police to intervene and arrest the offenders.
Tamwanyera, who joined Borac during the close season from Javor Ivanjica, told Serbian television he had never been racially abused before.
”I have never been insulted for being black before. I got scared for my wife and child too. They came to every match I played in Ivanjica but here I was petrified,” he said. – Reuters