Piara Powar, the Director Executive of the Football against Racism in Europe (FARE network) within UEFA and FIFA, strongly condemned the chanting “Ratko Mladić” at yesterday’s match of the 14th round of Premier League of BiH between FC Rudar Prijedor and FC Željezničar.
Powar invited the officials of the Football Federation of BiH (FF B&H) to be harsh in punishing the FC Rudat Prijedor due to inappropriate chanting of its fans who also earlier in the championship matches used to chant in honor of Mladić, who is on trial in Hague for the genocide committed against the inhabitants of Srebrenica and other war crimes.
“It is sad and shocking for such an incident to happen at a match in a country where so many people are trying to heal the wounds from conflicts from the past and head towards the future unified. In football there should be no place for promoting individuals close to fascist ideas which are related to the killing of thousands of people. I hope that the FF B&H will see the danger behind this event and demonstrate its leadership,” Powar said.
“Sport is an opportunity for connecting young people who are living apart, and not to strengthen the conflicts and divisions”, Powar added.
(Source: klix.ba/ photo bportal)