Pro-Nazi chants before the Ajax game were criticized by Croatian leaders

Croatia's Hajduk Split hosted Ajax on Thursday, but chants for the pre-World War II regime began ahead of the UEFA Europa League game.

Croatian leaders have strongly condemned pro-Nazi and anti-Semitic chants by Hajduk Split football fans ahead of their UEFA Conference League match against Ajax, while the Israeli embassy expressed shock.

Local media reported that groups of Hajduk Split fans, known as Torsida, marched in the coastal city of Split before Thursday's game, chanting "crush the Jews," "Adolf (Hitler) rise" and "let's go to the Ustasha," a reference to the pro-Nazi World War II regime.

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At the end of the list dozens of fans were arrested for violence before the game on Thursday. During the match, Torcida fans set off bonfires and other fireworks in the stands, stopping for more than 10 minutes.

Police said an investigation into the pro-Nazi slogans had begun and suspects were in custody.

President Zoran Milanovic condemned the incident as "unacceptable and shameful" in a statement on Friday.

He called for swift action against the perpetrators to "show that there is no place in Croatia for glorifying Nazism and Ustasha ideology".

The Israeli embassy in Zagreb announced on X that it was "deeply shocked by the serious anti-Semitic incident that took place in Split and condemns it in the strongest possible terms."

Conservative Prime Minister Andrii Plenkovic also condemned the "anti-Semitic messages ... completely at odds with the values we want to uphold in Croatian society".

Hajduk Split, who won the match 2-1, apologized in a statement to UEFA and Ajax for "witnessing scenes that we do not want Europe to remember", while the Croatian FA also condemned the incident.

Croatia's ultra-nationalist extremists have tarnished the country's image for years, notably by chanting pro-fascist slogans and displaying Ustasha symbols.

The Ustasha regime killed and persecuted hundreds of thousands of anti-fascist Serbs, Jews, Roma and Croats.

In 2015, before playing Italy in a Euro 2016 qualifier, Croatia were given points by UEFA after drawing a swastika in Split.

In recent years, the country has seen growing tolerance of its pro-Nazi past, with critics accusing the authorities of failing to approve the use of Ustasha insignia.