The Norges Fotballforbund (Norwegian Football Federation) has formally apologised for the dismal scenes that marred this weekend’s Euro 2008 qualifier against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The match had to be stopped for 30 minutes soon after kick off as a shower of fireworks were thrown at visiting goalie Adnan Guso, one actually hitting the keeper, although, fortunately, with no serious consequences.
A small sector of fans who’d evidently left a few chromosomes at home also smashed chairs and broke the containing fence, forcing English referee Mike Riley to call a halt to proceedings and wait for the police to calm things down.
Although it would seem – at first glance – to be the work of local hooligans, the origin of the protests lay not with Norwegians but with Bosnians as the Bosnian federation appeared to have distributed tickets on an ethnic basis.
Placards likening Bosnia's football authorities to the mafia were shown as missiles were thrown onto the pitch by a crowd containing elements who turned up solely to protest as to what they see as unfair selection.
Bosnia's FA is still run along ethnic lines reflecting the see-sawing balance between the country's Serb Republic and the Muslim-Croat Federation, created after the 1992-95 war, and some see ethnic prejudice as still staining the national side.
Police helicopters patrolled Oslo in the wake of the events to ensure that events weren’t taken onto the streets. Close to an estimated 17,000 Bosnians live within a 300 km radius working in Scandinavia either as political refugees or economic migrants.
Bosnia-Herzegovina won 1-2, although UEFA are investigating the possibility of replaying the fixture given the fact that the incidents could be described as having influenced the result. A decision is expected within the next few days.
Goal.com - Norway Apologise For Saturday Savagery
