Six injured in brawl at basketball game in Serbia late Tuesday
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) - Four fans and two police officers were injured during a wild brawl before a basketball game between Red Star Belgrade and PAOK Thessaloniki. The fighting broke out late Tuesday at the ULEB Cup game after fans of Red Star’s local rival, Partizan, showed up to support the visiting Greek team, police spokeswoman Dragana Kajganic said. About 100 Partizan fans and a few dozen PAOK supporters fought several hundred Red Star fans. The fighting took place in the stands and on the court at the Pionir Sports Hall in the Serbian capital. Fans also tossed flares and plastic seats.
Ah, I just love basketball. No, I’m not talking about NBA basketball…I’m talking basketball Yugoslavian style, where the fans smoke into the stands, bring flares into the arena (and set them off), and throw chairs a la Bobby Knight. By comparison, basketball in this country is a rather effete affair.
While working in Kosovo, I watched the Yugoslavian national championship game on Serbian TV. Partizan Belgrade played Red Star (the Yugoslav equivalent of the Celtics playing the Lakers), and though I’ve long since forgotten who won the game, I still remember the celebration. A raucous, incendiary celebration of that nature in this country would get the celebrants 10-20 years in prison, but it was just another day in Detroit Belgrade. (For those of you who enjoy train wrecks, you can watch the video here.)
Fans set off flares in the stands, tossed firecrackers, and threw just about anything they could get their hands on. Keep in mind that this was an indoor arena. Apparently, the words “fire hazard” have no direct translation into Serbo-Croatian.
Good times….
Oh, and in case anyone is interested, the game was only delayed for 30 minutes, and PAOK Thessaloniki won 85-81.
Game on, eh?
