The mayor of Rijeka Marko Filipović is ashamed of the fans who caused damage in Ljubljana: Public condemnation and apology to Zoran Janković
Photo: Nik Moder / Sportida
After the remarkable incidents that occurred on Thursday evening during the European match between Olimpija and Rijeka, the mayor of Rijeka, Marko Filipović, publicly apologized to his Ljubljana counterpart Zoran Janković for the unruly behavior of the visiting fans. The match, which ended with a 5-0 victory for Olimpija in the final round of qualifying for the Conference League, was marked by inappropriate behavior from a section of Rijeka fans, leading to property damage and ultimately the evacuation of part of the stadium occupied by the Croatian visitors. Marko Filipović expressed deep regret for the incidents in his letter and emphasized that such behavior is entirely contrary to the spirit of Rijeka.
Message from the Mayor of Rijeka, Marko Filipović:
Dear Mr. Janković,
Allow me to take this opportunity, following the football match between Rijeka and Olimpija in Ljubljana, which we both attended, to once again express my deep regret for the riots, property damage, and completely unacceptable behavior of a section of Rijeka fans.
As the mayor of a city renowned within Croatian borders and beyond for its multiculturalism, diversity, and tolerance of its residents, I strongly condemn the events at this match and sincerely regret everything that happened. The violence of the hooligans we witnessed is certainly not and never will be the image of Rijeka that we know, and there is no excuse for it. I am truly sorry for the unpleasant scenes and hope they will never be repeated anywhere.
I want to emphasize that these were not Rijeka fans but hooligans, as no one who loves and lives for football in our city would ever subject their club to what this group of hooligans inflicted, especially at a time when the club is fighting for qualification for the Conference League. The football club Rijeka and its fan group Armada work in synergy, and fans are primarily those who support their club.
Therefore, at this moment, as the mayor, I feel not only regret but also anger and outrage that hooligans turned their football passion into violence and aggression, endangering everyone who came to watch the match between two neighboring and friendly clubs, to support their athletes and enjoy the sporting competition. What they did is unforgivable, and such people certainly have no place in sports venues.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you and the Football Club Olimpija on your well-deserved victory and qualification for this important European competition. I hope your players will be as successful in Europe as they were in this match. Until our next meeting, hoping for a much better and more pleasant atmosphere, I send my warm regards.
Respectfully, Mayor Marko Filipović
This text was automatically translated using AI.
Author: editorial Football Planet
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