Reactions to Croatian football club chief's ethnic slurs

BELGRADE, ZAGREB Serbian Minister of Youth and Sport Alisa Maric has welcomed the Croatian authorities' reaction to recent hate speech by Zdravko Mamic. Mamic is the executive director of the Croatian football club Dinamo Zagreb, who last week insulted Croatian Minister of Education and Sports Zeljko Jovanovic on ethnic grounds. Reactions to Croatian football club chief's ethnic slurs During a radio talk show broadcast by the Zagreb-based radio station Soundset, Mamic said that Jovanovic, an ethnic Serb, “hates everything Croatian”. “When he looks at you, blood squirts from his eyes… Looking at his smile, one can only see eye-teeth ready for slaughter,” Mamic told Soundset Radio, according to AFP. Mamic added that it is an "insult to the Croatian brain” that a Serb and “a man who has never worked in education and sports, apart from lifting a little weights” is in charge of a Croatian ministry. Serbian Sport Minister Alisa Maric, who is also a world-famous chess player, said that “every reasonable civilized person can only be shocked at hearing such a statement.” “Such language and thoughts are an appalling example of hate speech, of which we were wont to think belonged to the past and would never be repeated,” Maric told Tanjug. She said that the competent authorities in Croatia “reacted in a proper and the only possible way,” and called for calm ahead of the World Cup qualifier between Serbia and Croatia to be played in Zagreb on March 22. On Friday afternoon, Mamic was detained for questioning by Zagreb police, based on charges of hatred speech and incitement to violence, and the Zagreb prosecutor demanded that he be remanded in investigative custody because of the risk of a repeat offense. On Saturday, an investigating judge had Mamic released pending trial. If found guilty, he could be sentenced to up to three years in prison. The Croatian Football Federation (HNS) has said that the statements by Mamic, who is also a member of their executive committee, are “unacceptable,” and launched a disciplinary procedure against the Dinamo chief. The scandalous behavior of the Dinamo Zagreb chief has been condemned by a number of Croatian state and sports officials, representatives of the Serb community and media in Croatia, and Jutarnji List, a Zagreb-based daily, said that it was one of the “worst examples of racism and spreading inter-ethnic hatred in public communication in Croatia.” “The words that he (Mamic) used to personally insult the minister in the most vulgar and primitive way are also offensive and maliciously aggressive towards all members of the Serb minority (in Croatia) and Serbian people in general,” AFP quoted Croatian President Ivo Josipovic as saying. Zeljko Jovanovic meanwhile announced that he would file a lawsuit against Mamic for hate speech, and that he "did not intend to make any compromises" during the court procedures. Jovanovic explained that should the court award him with damages, he would give the money to charity. Zdravko Mamic (Beta/Hina/Damir Sencar/DS) B92 AFP Tanjug

Reactions to Croatian football club chief's ethnic slurs

During a radio talk show broadcast by the Zagreb-based radio station Soundset, Mamić said that Jovanović, an ethnic Serb, “hates everything Croatian”.

“When he looks at you, blood squirts from his eyes… Looking at his smile, one can only see eye-teeth ready for slaughter,” Mamić told Soundset Radio, according to AFP.

Mamić added that it is an "insult to the Croatian brain” that a Serb and “a man who has never worked in education and sports, apart from lifting a little weights” is in charge of a Croatian ministry.

Serbian Sport Minister Alisa Marić, who is also a world-famous chess player, said that “every reasonable civilized person can only be shocked at hearing such a statement.”

“Such language and thoughts are an appalling example of hate speech, of which we were wont to think belonged to the past and would never be repeated,” Marić told Tanjug.

She said that the competent authorities in Croatia “reacted in a proper and the only possible way,” and called for calm ahead of the World Cup qualifier between Serbia and Croatia to be played in Zagreb on March 22.

On Friday afternoon, Mamić was detained for questioning by Zagreb police, based on charges of hatred speech and incitement to violence, and the Zagreb prosecutor demanded that he be remanded in investigative custody because of the risk of a repeat offense.

On Saturday, an investigating judge had Mamić released pending trial. If found guilty, he could be sentenced to up to three years in prison.

The Croatian Football Federation (HNS) has said that the statements by Mamić, who is also a member of their executive committee, are “unacceptable,” and launched a disciplinary procedure against the Dinamo chief.

The scandalous behavior of the Dinamo Zagreb chief has been condemned by a number of Croatian state and sports officials, representatives of the Serb community and media in Croatia, and Jutarnji List, a Zagreb-based daily, said that it was one of the “worst examples of racism and spreading inter-ethnic hatred in public communication in Croatia.”

“The words that he (Mamić) used to personally insult the minister in the most vulgar and primitive way are also offensive and maliciously aggressive towards all members of the Serb minority (in Croatia) and Serbian people in general,” AFP quoted Croatian President Ivo Josipović as saying.

Željko Jovanović meanwhile announced that he would file a lawsuit against Mamić for hate speech, and that he "did not intend to make any compromises" during the court procedures.

Jovanović explained that should the court award him with damages, he would give the money to charity.