Zagreb police have confirmed that two Celtic supporters were victims of violent attacks in Croatia, including a stabbing incident, ahead of the club’s Champions League match against Dinamo Zagreb.

The attacks have led to the detention of several juveniles, with police investigating serious charges, including attempted robbery and grievous bodily injury.

Celtic had previously issued multiple warnings to fans travelling to Zagreb, advising vigilance and caution due to heightened tensions and fears of potential violence.

Supporters were specifically urged to avoid wearing club colours in public to prevent becoming targets for rival fans. Unfortunately, despite these precautions, the incidents highlight the risks Celtic fans faced in the Croatian capital.

According to a Zagreb Police Department statement, the attacks took place around 10 PM on December 8, in two connected incidents within 30 minutes of each other.

In the first incident, a 38-year-old man was leaving a venue on Opatovina Street when a group of juveniles allegedly approached him and demanded his mobile phone and money. After refusing, he was allegedly threatened with death and then chased by the group. When they caught up to him, it has been alledged that he was physically assaulted and stabbed in the hand with an unknown sharp object. The victim suffered serious injuries and was treated at the Traumatology Clinic of the Sisters of Mercy Clinical Hospital Cente.

In a separate but related incident, a 19-year-old British man was attacked on Gajeva Street. He was reportedly walking with friends when a group of juveniles assaulted him without provocation, striking him in the head and knocking him to the ground. The assailants allegedly continued kicking him after he fell, leaving him with minor injuries.

Zagreb police acted swiftly, detaining six juveniles suspected of involvement in the assaults.

The police report states that the group split into two factions in an attempt to evade detection, but both were apprehended by officers shortly after the attacks.

The suspects have since been handed over to a detention supervisor, and a special report has been submitted to the Municipal Criminal State Attorney’s Office for Juveniles.

The official police statement described the nature of the charges and the timeline of events in detail: [Glasgow Times]

“Officers of the Zagreb Police Department conducted a criminal investigation against six juveniles on suspicion of committing the criminal offense of attempted robbery and grievous bodily injury to the detriment of a 38-year-old British citizen together with several unknown persons.

“The conducted criminal investigation suspects that on December 8, 2024, at around 10:45 p.m. in Zagreb, in Opatovina Street, the suspects approached the injured party, who was not far from the catering facility from which he had exited, and demanded that he hand over his mobile phone and money. When he refused, one of the suspects threatened him with death, after which the injured party began to run towards the catering facility.

“The suspects ran after him and when they caught up with him, they physically attacked him by hitting him with his legs and hands on the body and, with an unknown sharp object, injured him in the area of the fist, after which they began to run away and in order not to be noticed, they divided into two groups.

“This did not escape the attention of the Zagreb police, and one group was spotted a few minutes later near Toma Bakača Street, and the other soon after on the stretch of Josip Juraj Strossmayer Square and Petar Preradovic Square.

“Medical assistance was provided to the injured person at the Traumatology Clinic of the Sisters of Mercy Clinical Hospital Center, where it was determined that he was seriously injured.

“Furthermore, it was established that there is a suspicion that three suspected juveniles from that group with several unknown persons committed the criminal offense of violent behavior to the detriment of a citizen of Great Britain aged 19.

“It is suspected that the suspects, on the same day at around 10:10 p.m. in Zagreb in Gajeva Street, ran up to the injured person, while he was walking down the street in the company of friends, and without any reason began to hit him with their hands in the area of the head, as a result of which he fell to the ground where the suspects continued to kick him on the body. After that, they ran away.

“With the described behavior, i.e. violence in a public place, the suspects put the injured party in a humiliating position and slightly injured him.

“Upon completion of the criminal investigation, the suspects were handed over to the detention supervisor within the legal deadline, while a special report was submitted to the Municipal Criminal State Attorney’s Office for Juveniles in Zagreb.”