Croatia vows to crack down on hooligans

Croatia's police force, faced with growing violence among local soccer fans, vowed yesterday to crack down on hooligans and respond faster to crowd trouble.

"We shall make a database of hooligans and insist with clubs that they are banned from entering stadiums," Interior Minister Ivica Kirin told state radio yesterday.

"The police will intervene immediately, without waiting (for trouble) to spread. We shall move in promptly and pull out any trouble makers," Kirin said.

More than 100 Croatian fans were deported from Malta last week following violence during a World Cup qualifier, which ended 1-1 to jeopardise Croatia's hopes of winning Group Eight and qualifying directly for next year's finals in Germany.

Seats were ripped up and hurled at Malta supporters and police in the VIP area, where government minister Censu Galea was hit in the head, needing four stitches.

On Sunday, fans twice interrupted a match between rivals Dinamo Zagreb and Hajduk Split, throwing dozens of flares onto the pitch despite a huge police presence.

A week earlier, a friendly between Dinamo and Zeljeznicar Sarajevo in Bosnia had to be called off in the 75th minute due to crowd trouble.

FIFA report

Vlatko Markovic, chief of Croatia's Football Association, said the country's chances of hosting Euro 2012, for which they are jointly bidding with Hungary, could be dented after FIFA had filed a report on the Malta incident.