Croatia and Serbia's footballers play each other for the first time since independence on Friday, in a highly charged tie given wider significance by political, cultural and historical ties and fresh memories of war. The run-up to the Group A World Cup qualification match in Zagreb has dominated the media in both countries for several weeks and been billed the "match of the decade".
Tickets sold out within hours and some 34,000 people are expected to pack into the Maksimir Stadium in the Croatian capital for the game, although away supporters have been banned for the tie and the return leg in Belgrade over security concerns. "The event goes beyond sports as it is an historic first match between the two nations since their independence," Robert Matteoni, a prominent Croatian sports journalist, told AFP.
A complex history of relations between the Balkan neighbours, marked by the brutal internecine fighting of the 1991-1995 war that claimed an estimated 20,000 lives, was an added motivation for both countries, he said. Matteoni's view is shared by many fans, who say that any sporting encounters between Croatia and Serbia still have a significant emotional charge.
"As long as we live these will never be only pure sports events," said Bobo, a 49-year-old member of Dinamo Zagreb's hardcore "Bad Blue Boys" fans, many of whom joined the Croatian police and army during the conflict. Croatia's declaration of independence in June 1991 from the former Yugoslavia sparked the four-year war. But many believe that the conflict was heralded on May 13 1990, when Dinamo fans stood up against the Serb-controlled Yugoslav police, who looked on as visiting Red Star Belgrade supporters ripped apart the Maksimir Stadium. During the riot, Dinamo midfielder Zvonimir Boban became a hero for Croatian nationalists by kung-fu kicking a police officer who was beating a home fan with a truncheon.