Former warring Balkan nations soccer rivals

BELGRADE, Serbia-Montenegro – Police will escort Bosnian fans from the border, then stand guard in riot gear to keep them separated from the Serbians. Banners and firecrackers will not be allowed.

The bloody civil war that tore apart the Balkans has been over for a decade, but when the soccer teams from the two nations meet Wednesday for a key World Cup qualifier, it will be all too clear that deep divisions abide.

Police fear riots and excessive displays of nationalism when Serbia-Montenegro hosts Bosnia-Herzegovina at Belgrade’s Red Star stadium, locally known as little “Maracana,” and have designated the area as high risk.

Serbia-Montenegro leads European Group 7 with 19 points, followed by Spain with 17 and 16 for Bosnia-Herzegovina. Serbia-Montenegro will win the group and a place in the World Cup with a victory, but Bosnia-Herzegovina can also win the group if it wins and Spain does not. Spain can win the group if it beats San Marino and Serbia-Montenegro loses or ties.

The team finishing in second place will enter the playoffs next month for a place in next year’s tournament in Germany.

“We want to win and devote our World Cup berth to our nation,” Serbia-Montenegro striker Mateja Kezman said.

Understandably, emotions are running high among Serb and Bosnian fans.

Zoran Jovanovic, a member of the extreme Serbian “Ultras” fan group, said: “I don’t even want to think about what would happen if we lose against Bosnia.”

Senad Rindal, a 43-year-old mechanical engineer in Sarajevo, added: “The Bosnian win would be greater than any other win of our team because of all the Muslims killed during the war. Payback, kind of, for all the misery we suffered during the war.”

A 1995 peace agreement divided Bosnia into a Serb portion and a Muslim-Croat portion, linked only by joint state institutions. Most Bosnian Serbs don’t relate to Bosnia as their homeland and are likely to support Serbia-Montenegro on Wednesday.

In their first meeting in World Cup qualifying last year, Bosnia and Serbia played to a peaceful 0-0 draw in Sarajevo. “We have 250,000 reasons to hate you,” read a banner raised by Bosnian fans, but there were no incidents.

However, two years ago, Bosnia and Yugoslavia – since reshaped into Serbia-Montenegro – played a 1-1 exhibition in Sarajevo, which is mainly Muslim. The match was followed by clashes between Bosnia fans and the Bosnian Serb supporters, injuring several people and 19 police officers.

Tensions between the two Balkan neighbors have largely subsided since then, and thousands of Bosnian fans known as “Fanaticos” plan to attend the Belgrade game.

On the field, the match will feature several players with mixed roots.

Serbia-Montenegro captain Savo Milosevic and defender Mladen Krstajic were born in Bosnia. Branimir Bajic, a Bosnian Serb who plays for Partizan Belgrade, will lead Bosnia-Herzegovina’s defense.

Elvir Bolic, Bosnia’s top scorer, used to play for Red Star Belgrade in 1992, but has never returned to the Serbian capital since after he was forced to flee following threatening telephone calls mentioning his Muslim nationality.

“I would like to mark my return to Maracana with a goal and a victory,” Bolic said. “No one would be happier than me.”