Police detain 57 after Torcida fans attack Ajax supporters in Split

Croatian police detained 57 people after large groups of Hajduk Split's Torcida fans attacked Dutch supporters following clashes ahead of Ajax's Conference League match in Split, Split-Dalmatia police said, according to Dnevnik.hr. Two Dutch nationals suffered minor injuries, Novi list reported.

About 150 Torcida members attacked Ajax fans gathered on Split's Riva waterfront on Wednesday evening, with flares thrown during the clash, Dalmatinski portal reported, according to Dnevnik.hr. Police, who were already stationed nearby, intervened and blocked access to the area, restoring order within 15 minutes, Split-Dalmatia police said.

Police separately detained six Croatian nationals over physical attacks on the two injured Dutch nationals, and a further ten Croatians for possessing prohibited items, Novi list reported. Both Dutch men were hurt in two separate attacks and received medical treatment for minor scratches, police said.

Police also reported a second attempted confrontation between several hundred fans from both sides shortly before midnight, which officers dispersed within 15 minutes without injury, Dnevnik.hr reported. Officers were also deployed in the nearby towns of Solin and Podstrana as a precaution, and police presence was increased across the wider Split area rather than just the city centre.

Ajax issued a new security warning to its fans in Split, saying some had been intimidated or physically attacked, and that taxi drivers using popular ride-hailing apps had in some cases tipped off attackers about passengers' destinations, the club said in a statement reported by tportal. Nineteen Dutch nationals had earlier been detained on the Riva with knives, stones and other items capable of being used as weapons; all were sentenced to seven days in jail and a two-year ban from Split's stadium and the Riva, tportal reported, though the rulings are not yet final.

Ajax had already advised its fans before travelling to Split to avoid wearing club colours, not to move around in recognisable groups, and to be especially careful in the city centre, tportal reported. The club's fan group leader urged supporters to get out of taxis some distance from their accommodation and walk the rest of the way, rather than risk being dropped off directly outside.