The Croatian Interior Ministry on Monday announced that police have arrested numerous football fans following the UEFA Nations League match between Croatia and Poland on Sunday.
Reports indicate that Polish fans attacked Croatian supporters and subsequently clashed with law enforcement after Croatia's 1-0 victory in Osijek.
It was gathered that further violence occurred later between Polish and Croatian fans at another location, though details were not provided.
The Ministry stated on social media, "Dozens of people have been detained, and a criminal investigation is underway."
While the exact number of Polish nationals arrested was not specified, at least five fans were detained in Osijek before the Group A1 match, including one Polish national who was injured in the altercation.
Croatia secured their fourth consecutive home win with a clean sheet, defeating Poland 1-0 in the UEFA Nations League on Sunday. This scoreline mirrors the result of their last encounter in 2008.
Luka Modrić, who celebrated his 39th birthday on Monday, September 9, scored the decisive goal early in the second half. His expertly taken free kick from the edge of the box found the top corner in the 52nd minute.
Despite their strong home form and having lost only one of their last seven matches before Sunday, Croatia dominated the first half.
Duje Caleta-Car forced a save from Lukasz Skorupski with a close-range header, and Modrić's long-range shot went just wide. Igor Matanović missed several chances, with Poland rarely posing a threat.
In the second half, Poland’s Nicola Zalewski, who had scored the winner against Scotland in their previous match, nearly equalized with their first shot on target, but Dominik Livaković made a crucial save.
Croatia capitalized on a dangerous free-kick opportunity shortly after, with Modrić’s brilliant strike giving the hosts the lead. Croatia continued to press, with Matanović hitting the crossbar after a clever dribble and Bruno Petković’s curling shot being tipped away by Skorupski.
Despite Robert Lewandowski rattling the crossbar for Poland, Croatia held on to secure a vital victory after their Nations League opener loss to Portugal.
Both teams now have three points from their first two matches, with each aiming for a spot in the UNL play-offs.
