What do you all think now?

[Father Ted]

CROATIAN football chiefs are using a sick fascist hatemonger to whip up a vile racist frenzy among fans.

A Sun investigation today reveals the Croatian FA is behind a cynical campaign encouraging thugs - who will be at Wembley for tomorrow's match against England - to worship the right-wing nut spreading hatred and Sieg Heil chants on the terraces.

Shocking songs by fascist rocker Marko Perkovic that glorify genocide and Hitler's death camps are played at Croatia's home matches.

And his sick slogans are chanted by thousands of fans.

England striker Emile Heskey was subjected to sinister obscenities and disgusting monkey chants the last time the two sides met.

The squad for the World Cup qualifier boasts a host of black stars including Heskey, goal ace Jermain Defoe and Ashley Cole.

Perkovic - nicknamed Thompson after the machinegun he used in the Balkans war - is loved by fans of the Croatia side.

They are notorious for wearing the uniform of the Nazis' puppet Ustashe regime that ran Croatia during World War II.

The songs are blasted out to crank up intimidation levels inside Zagreb's Maksimir Stadium.

There is no suggestion Croatia's football officials or players share Thompson's fascist views.

Manager Bilic - an ex-West Ham and Everton player - has previously condemned the far right and Croatia's fascist past.

The Sun asked the Croatian Football Federation why it played Thompson's songs and why fans were allowed to give Nazi salutes.

We also asked whether officials considered it acceptable to link the national team with a singer accused of glorifying genocide.

The CFF declined to answer. A spokesman said only: "I hope we play a good game and we win it."

Thompson was unavailable for comment last night.

It instantly provokes a fascist fervour as fans - who once formed a human swastika on the terraces - launch into the Sieg Heil salutes popular at Thompson's concerts.

Fans repeatedly chant the notorious Ustashe war cry "Za dom - Spremni", which means "For the Homeland - ready" and is popularised in Thompson's songs.

Croatia's football chiefs have been repeatedly condemned by FIFA and punished over fans' racist thuggery.

Yet stadium security chiefs make no attempt to curb the show of hate, which inevitably continues when fans follow the team abroad.

Team manager Slaven Bilic has even admitted playing Thompson's music in the dressing room to fire up his players, who include Arsenal striker Eduardo.

The Sun witnessed the tactic being used to stir a 30,000-strong crowd into fascist chants and salutes at Croatia's home match against Belarus last Saturday.

About 8,000 of those fans are expected at Wembley tomorrow.

Our investigators also attended a Thompson concert, where bare-chested fans openly gave the stiff-armed Sieg Heil salute while proudly waving Croatian flags.

Some even took SWORDS to the show - where Thompson, 42, posed on stage with his own blade.

Thompson, an avid footie fan who wears paramilitary costume at gigs, is a cult figure on white supremacist website Stormfront.

He has been barred from performing in countries including the Netherlands and Austria because of security fears.

He glorifies the Ustashe regime which committed genocide in World War II and his chilling lyrics glamorise Nazi concentration camps where 90,000 innocent Jews, gipsies and Serbs were murdered.

He also backs Croat generals who committed crimes against humanity during the bloody Balkans conflict in the 1990s.

His official video for one song, hailed as Croatia's footie anthem, honours warlord Mate Boban, who led a 1990s genocide campaign.

Croatia's fans and players reacted angrily when the song was not played at a 2007 match against Israel for fear of causing offence.

Human rights campaigners demanded FIFA take action against Croatia for promoting Thompson.

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Nazi hunter Dr Efraim Zuroff, of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre said: "It is unacceptable, irresponsible and dangerous.

"His lyrics support the Ustashe and encourage nostalgia for a regime that committed genocide."

Anti-Nazi magazine Searchlight said Croatia should be forced to play behind closed doors.

Croatian MP Damir Kajin said: "The activities of Marko Perkovic give the appearance that Croatia is not a civilised country."

Link: Sun report

So are the Serbs still bad bastards and the Croats angels now??

[lildave3]

[jonthefox]

probably just best to ignore the hate filled bastards and let the footy do the talking.

`tis shocking to see though, isn`t it?

[Lillehamring]

i blame edourdo, the diving cheater

[Father Ted]

probably just best to ignore the hate filled bastards and let the footy do the talking.

`tis shocking to see though, isn`t it?

Definitely is.

I also found out the other day that they have been funding Nazi's across Europe including BNP.

This is what Croats really are, just slimy Nazis and the Serbs are always made to look bad.

Hopefully people will see now because I'm fed up of getting abuse on this forum because of how the Serbs have been portrayed.

[LCFC-ARAB]

That doesn't say anything about how amazing the serbs are

just how bad the croats are

so if anyone does have any opinions on the serbs i cant see this changing them....

[Father Ted]

That doesn't say anything about how amazing the serbs are

just how bad the croats are

so if anyone does have any opinions on the serbs i cant see this changing them....

I'm not implying that the Serbs are amazing but I have received a lot of criticism for having a go at the Croats in this thread: Croatian FA conspiracy aswell as being called a bigot through PM and I'm fed up.

Obviously people's opinions on Serbs won't change because the media here always backed the Croats, just how the Americans, NATO, etc. backed the Croats in the war.

[Alexikokopops]

I'd offer up more of an opinion if I thought you actually cared about the facism/racism but I think you're more concerned with making Croats look like bastards than the actual issue.

[Guest Bilo]

I would like to remind people that this report comes from The Sun, and they do have a tendency to vilify the opposition before a big game in an effort to ramp up tensions. Nazism among a number of Croat fans is undoubtedly there, but probably no more prevalent than among any other Eastern European nations, where such bigotry appears to be a real problem.

That is isn't condoning it at all, just a warning against taking a report from a newspaper that isn't above a bit of racism itself at face value.

[Alexikokopops]

I'm not implying that the Serbs are amazing but I have received a lot of criticism for having a go at the Croats in this thread: Croatian FA conspiracy aswell as being called a bigot through PM and I'm fed up.

Obviously people's opinions on Serbs won't change because the media here always backed the Croats, just how the Americans, NATO, etc. backed the Croats in the war.

But your post hasn't done anything to make me disagree with you when you said that a typical Croat is a willy puller. In fact all its done is highlight the kind of problem we've seen in places such as Russia, Romania, Poland and a whole host of other countries, including Serbia

I think the reaction in this thread was more to do with the fact you basically called all Croats wankers purely because they're Croatian. There would be an uproar for instance if I'd responded to this post with "typical black people. Wankers", much like you did here:

Typical Croats. Wankers.

All I ever hear from those tossers is the bubbling of diarrhoea spouting from their mouths.

which does sound a little bigotted. You seem to be completely missing the point and have now started this vendetta when, to be honest, most people on here hadn't even started school when the Dayton agreement was signed in 1995. Much like you completely missed the point with C-Man in that thread.

[purpleronnie]

I feel sorry for them. Pathetic.

[Fosse Boy]

As most other people have said, this kind of problem is more widespread than just Croatia and certainly includes Serbia. Give it up Father Ted, you're swiftly becoming Ultra Jr.

[Guest Bilo]

As most other people have said, this kind of problem is more widespread than just Croatia and certainly includes Serbia. Give it up Father Ted, you're swiftly becoming Ultra Jr.

Very true this. In fact, even I was probably being unfair by stating it was a problem in Eastern Europe. Spain, France and Italy all have similar problems in their games. Not to mention the likes of Rangers (who have long had murky connections with right-wing groups), Celtic (who sing such charming ditties as Up The Ra) and of course Millwall and Leeds with their NF connections. It's a Europe-wide problem and singling out Croats shows more of a prejudice on FT's own part than any desire to combat it.

[Samilktray]

Epic fail.

[Hugo Sanchez]

I feel sorry for them. Pathetic.

Who do you feel sorry for ?

[purpleronnie]

The fans because they are clearly uneducated morons.

[Hugo Sanchez]

The fans because they are clearly uneducated morons.

Yeah you know alot about football world wide and having been there in the 80's and having seen racist chanting first hand but i think Eastern European fans are really on another level.

If English fans did and sang what they did, FIFA would have a field day.

Why don't FIFA ban them ?

[purpleronnie]

No idea.

[Father Ted]

But your post hasn't done anything to make me disagree with you when you said that a typical Croat is a willy puller. In fact all its done is highlight the kind of problem we've seen in places such as Russia, Romania, Poland and a whole host of other countries, including Serbia

I think the reaction in this thread was more to do with the fact you basically called all Croats wankers purely because they're Croatian. There would be an uproar for instance if I'd responded to this post with "typical black people. Wankers", much like you did here:

which does sound a little bigotted. You seem to be completely missing the point and have now started this vendetta when, to be honest, most people on here hadn't even started school when the Dayton agreement was signed in 1995. Much like you completely missed the point with C-Man in that thread.

Obviously there are problems everywhere but the point is more political here than football related.

The majority of Croatians are catholics, and the croat catholics are known as "Ustase". They are known for being Nazis and Nazi supporters whereas Serbs oppose this.

This is the point.

[Fosse Boy]

Obviously there are problems everywhere but the point is more political here than football related.

The majority of Croatians are catholics, and the croat catholics are known as "Ustase". They are known for being Nazis and Nazi supporters whereas Serbs oppose this.

This is the point.

Well generalised there boyo. Do you speak for every Serbian? No. Do you speak for every Croat? No. Stop digging then.

Just out of interest were you born in Serbia and have you spent much time there?

[dandannieldanok]

They won't be at the world cup at least.

[hairy]

Father Ted, do you not think that nationalism would be very strong in both countries in light of their recent history?

Football matches have been described as the new 'battles' for a country, including ours. Past history always comes into play when we play Germany or Argentina. We dont go as far as these examples but I am sure it wouldn't take much encouragement from a few for us to see such scenes when we play 'an old enemy'

[Hugo Sanchez]

Father Ted, do you not think that nationalism would be very strong in both countries in light of their recent history?

Football matches have been described as the new 'battles' for a country, including ours. Past history always comes into play when we play Germany or Argentina. We dont go as far as these examples but I am sure it wouldn't take much encouragement from a few for us to see such scenes when we play 'an old enemy'

Still throwing out Nazi Salutes isn't the way to show nationalism .

If England were to do this, we're be thrown out of FIFA or given a massive ban and fine.

Eastern Europe fans and i mean most of them are Hooligans or right wing scum.

They really need to sort it out.

[C-man]

This is what Croats really are, just slimy Nazis and the Serbs are always made to look bad.

Hopefully people will see now because I'm fed up of getting abuse on this forum because of how the Serbs have been portrayed.

Firstly, I don't give a shit about Croatia or Serbia (I don't think many people on here, other than you, do) and I don't know enough about the Balkan Wars of the 1910s or the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s to comment on who's a nazi and who isn't. But that's the point, how do you not realize that you are stereotyping a whole country on the actions (note 'The Sun') of some football fans?

To say Croats are 'slimy Nazis' is racist. I don't care which way you want to defend your statement, you can't get away from the fact you are a bigot.

Just to leave you with a little food for thought about stereotyping:

Slobodan Milošević, Radovan Karadžić and Ratko Mladić are of what nationality?

[Finnegan]

so the Serbs can't possibly do evil because the Croats are racists?