RAKOVIĆ: INCIDENTS IN PODGORICA - RESULT OF SERBOPHOBIA IN REGION AND WESTERN EUROPE

BELGRADE, November 19 /SRNA/ – Anti-Serb chants at the football match between the national teams of Croatia and Montenegro in Podgorica, and the absence of condemnation by the authorities, are the result of Serbophobia present in almost the entire region and strongly expressed in Western Europe, historian Aleksandar Raković told SRNA.

Raković stressed that he was not surprised that Croatian fans shouted "Kill a Serb" and "For homeland - ready" at the stadium in Podgorica during the World Cup qualifier, because the majority of Croatian and Montenegrin national team supporters hold Serbophobic views.

"There was no reaction to their Serbophobic chanting because parts of the system, the regime in Montenegro, those who are partly in power and who are Montenegrin separatists, largely agree with the chants shouted by the Croatian fans," Raković said.

He recalled that during the litije /religious processions/ in Montenegro, supporters of the then regime of Milo Đukanović sang the same songs as Croatian fans did recently in Podgorica.

"None of this surprises me, just as there will be no reaction from the EU, considering that Croatia is an EU member state, just as there is no warning regarding concerts by Marko Perković Thompson, at least when it comes to events in Croatia," Raković said.

He added that it remains to be seen whether UEFA will sanction the Croatian national team, but regardless of any penalty, Serbophobic behavior at matches will not stop.

"They have the money to pay /the fines/, and this Serbophobia, as an integrative factor of Croats and Montenegrin separatists, will continue. It will persist and will also be present at the matches of BiH and so-called Kosovo. The same things will repeat and there will be no special sanctions, except financial ones that can be paid, after which it's `here we go again,`" Raković said.

Commenting on the lack of condemnation from the EU, Raković said that the EU simply does not care, because Brussels institutions are still largely staffed by people who view Serbs through the lens of the 1990s wars.

"Serbophobia exists; it is present on almost all sides in our region and is very much present in Western Europe, where those who still see us through the wars of the 1990s, the aggression against our country, and sanctions against Serbia, are still in power within Brussels and other structures," Raković stated.

He concluded that one set of standards applies to Serbs, the same to Russians, and completely different standards to everyone else.

Croatian fans shouted "Kill a Serb", "For homeland - ready" and "Whoever doesn't jump is Orthodox" at the stadium in Podgorica during Monday's World Cup qualifying match between Montenegro and Croatia.