FIFA investigating Croatian fans for targeting Canada's Borjan with texts, banners
FIFA has started an official investigation against the Croatia Football Federation following the behaviour of some of its fans in their match against Canada.
In Sunday’s 4-1 win over Canada, members of the Croatian contingent were seen targeting Canadian keeper Milan Borjan, who was born in Knin, Croatia, to an ethnically Serbian family.
In 1995, Borjan and his family were driven out of his hometown as part of the Croatian War of Independence, where they relocated to Belgrade, Serbia, before eventually moving to Winnipeg and later Hamilton, Ontario.
One group of fans was holding a flag with a John Deere logo and the caption “Knin 95 — nothing runs like Borjan” in reference to Borjan and other Serbians leaving the country on refugee convoys.
“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has opened proceedings against the Croatia Football Federation due to the behaviour of its fans on the occasion of the Croatia v. Canada FIFA World Cup match played on 27 November,” FIFA wrote in a statement. “The proceedings were opened on the basis of articles 13 and 16 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.”
Borjan’s phone number was leaked amongst Croatian fans, who reportedly sent him 2,500 messages during and after the match.
Per Sportsnet’s Peter Galindo, Canada Soccer has filed a complaint to FIFA about the banner.
The CSA has filed a complaint with FIFA about the “Knin” banner directed at Milan Borjan vs. Croatia. #CanMNT
— Peter Galindo (@GalindoPW) November 29, 2022
Croatian fans were also heard chanting “Borjane ustašo,” a reference to the Croatian-based Nazi-supporting Ustaše political movement that was active in the Second World War and murdered Jews, Serbians, and other minority groups in Croatia.
Borjan currently plays for Red Star Belgrade, the most successful team in the Serbian domestic league.
“It shows how primitive people are. I have nothing to comment on that. They should work on themselves and their families, because they obviously have some frustration, so they come here to vent,” Borjan said Sunday, per UK journalist Sam Street. “These are children who show that they do not know what it is and how it was, that says everything about them.”
Canada’s final match of the World Cup comes Thursday, when they face off against Morocco.
Follow Channels and Categories