Ghanaian Player Injured in Racist Attack in Serbia

Serbian soccer has been rife with racist incidents and violence in the past decade.

A Ghanaian player on trial with Serbian first division club Borac Cacak suffered minor injuries when he was attacked by fans shouting racist insults after a league match on Saturday, Belgrade media reported.

Solomon Opaku was confronted by 10 attackers, daily Sport said on Monday. Six people were arrested, of whom four have been charged with ethnic and racial offences, the newspaper said.

"I was on my way back to the hotel with two friends when I felt a thumping blow to the back of my head," the 20-year-old told the newspaper.

"I thought it was a prank but when I turned round I realised it was a group of Borac fans, who started kicking me and shouting that they hate blacks," he said.

"My friends picked me up and a policeman also came along, they protected me and took me to hospital. I just want to go home as soon as possible."

Two years ago, dozens of Borac fans shouted racial abuse at the club's Zimbabwean striker Mike Tamwanjira, who left the central Serbian town after the incident.

Last year, the Serbian FA was punished after Serbia fans racially abused England's black players during their under-21 European championship match in the Netherlands.

Serbian soccer has been rife with racist incidents and violence in the past decade, prompting the authorities to pass a more stringent anti-hooliganism law last year stipulating up to 10 years in prison for offenders.