FK Sarajevo: MUP ZDK members used unnecessary force, disciplinary proceedings against NK Čelik

The last round of the BH Telecom Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina brought an away game for Football Club Sarajevo in Zenica. The victory against Football Club Čelik on the away field, achieved after a long period of years, was overshadowed by events that unfortunately marked this away game of the Bordo club.

As at every match, Football Club Sarajevo had thunderous support from its loyal fans at this match as well, who arrived in large numbers for this traditional away game. However, upon entering the Zenica-Doboj Canton, and all the way to the stadium entrance, they suffered unprecedented and completely inhumane treatment from the members of MUP ZDK, starting from being separated into smaller groups, thus preventing them from entering the stadium together, through rigorous checks, to the completely unnecessary and excessive use of physical force before the match itself, which deserves all possible condemnation.

Duels between Sarajevo and Čelik have a long history, and matches between the two clubs are always among the most interesting, as evidenced by the fact that Sunday's match, in which Čelik hosted Sarajevo, was the most watched football match in the region, and the purpose of such inhumane behavior by MUP ZDK members towards our fans is rightly questioned, given that such treatment poses a danger to human lives, drives people away from stadiums, and sends an unnecessarily ugly image of BiH football.

Aware of the fact that the Premier League of BiH is not among the most attractive European leagues, we must, with the joint efforts of all participants in the competition, including public order and peace bodies, create an environment to fill stadiums and not allow excessive use of force against fans when there was no need for it! The treatment shown by MUP ZDK members towards the fans of Football Club Sarajevo deserves even greater condemnation when we consider the fact that the fans of Football Club Sarajevo are the only fan group that has provided support to veterans in their protests, who are most deserving of why MUP members have a country whose laws they protect!

Also, we would like to inform the public that Football Club Sarajevo will initiate disciplinary proceedings against the organizer of the match of the 2nd round of the BH Telecom Premier League of BiH, Football Club Čelik, due to discrimination in the form of violating the bylaws on safety of the Football Association of BiH, given that the ticket price for FK Sarajevo fans was 7 KM, while in a stand of the same quality on the opposite side, home club fans paid 2 KM for their ticket, which constitutes a gross violation of the competition rules.

Football Club Sarajevo wishes all its fans who suffered physical injuries during the away game in Zenica a speedy recovery and appeals to the competition organizer, as well as match organizers, to jointly ensure the complete safety of visiting fans at matches, as well as safety in the stadium, which FK Sarajevo ensures at all its home games in cooperation with MUP KS and PU Centar, it was announced from the Sarajevo club.