Violence earns Bosnian clubs fines
Wednesday, February 26, 2003
Article summary
FK Posušje and FK Sarajevo have both been fined after their match was abandoned because of crowd trouble.
Article body
Maximum penalty
Twenty-four hours after Posušje were awarded a 3-0 victory, the NSBiH fined Sarajevo the maximum €2000 for the unsporting behaviour of their supporters, while handing Posušje a €500 penalty for their failure to control the crowd.
Pitch invasion
After Posušje went 2-1 ahead early in the second half on Sunday, some 500 visiting fans rioted and began throwing plastic seats, bottles and other objects on to the pitch. Some home supporters then invaded the pitch whereupon both sets of fans began throwing missiles at each other.
Opposition to ethnic violence
In response to the trouble, the mayor's office in Sarajevo has issued a statement saying it does not approve of ethnic violence. Posušje - a club in the south-west of the country - have strong Croatian links, while Sarajevo's supporters come predominantly from the capital city's Muslim population.
