Hajduk faces the possible activation of UEFA's away-fan ban following the incident in Žilina
HNK Hajduk Split could play the second leg of the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round against Pafos without organised support from its fans. UEFA opened disciplinary proceedings following events during the return match against Žilina, played in Slovakia on 16 July 2026, when plastic cups and several chairs were thrown towards the pitch from the section occupied by Hajduk supporters. Because of the incident, the referee briefly and officially suspended the match, while the delegate recorded the event in the report, triggering a new procedure before UEFA's disciplinary body. Sources from the Split club also confirmed that the incident had been reported, according to Croatian sports media reports. At the time this article was finalised, the final decision had not yet been publicly announced on UEFA's disciplinary portal.
The case is particularly sensitive for Hajduk because the club is already subject to a suspended ban on selling tickets to its away supporters for one match in a UEFA competition. That measure was imposed on 14 August 2024 following incidents at away matches against HB Tórshavn in the Faroe Islands and Ružomberok in Slovakia. According to the official decision of UEFA's Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body, Hajduk was fined €50,000 at the time for throwing objects, using pyrotechnics and crowd disturbances, while the ban on selling away tickets was suspended for a two-year probationary period. Since that period lasts until August 2026, the new incident occurred shortly before its expiry.
A brief suspension with serious disciplinary significance
The match in Žilina was the return leg of the Europa League first qualifying round. Hajduk won the first match at Poljud 2-0 and lost 2-1 in Slovakia, progressing to the next round with a 3-2 aggregate score. The sporting objective was therefore achieved, but the events in the stands raised the prospect of a punishment that could directly affect the continuation of the European campaign. According to media reports, the interruption lasted only a very short time, but the duration of the stoppage is not decisive when proceedings are opened. What matters is that objects entered the field of play and interfered with the orderly conduct of the match, forcing the referee to react and the delegate to include the case in the official documentation.
UEFA's 2026 Disciplinary Regulations explicitly identify the throwing of objects that could endanger the physical integrity of people in the stadium or disrupt the orderly progress of a match as conduct for which clubs are responsible. The regulations also establish that a club may be sanctioned for the conduct of its members, players, officials or supporters even when it can prove that it was not itself at fault or negligent. In practice, this means that disciplinary responsibility does not depend solely on whether the club directly organised security at the away stadium. A club bears separate responsibility for the behaviour of its supporters in UEFA competitions, independently of the obligations of the match host.
Plastic cups are listed among dangerous objects in UEFA's applicable list of standard disciplinary measures, while objects affecting the orderly conduct of a match are assessed separately. Chairs thrown towards the pitch further increase the seriousness of the case because they can pose a greater danger to players, match officials, stewards or other people near the field. When determining a sanction, the disciplinary body considers objective and subjective circumstances, including the seriousness of the incident, the number of objects, the consequences, the response of the security services and the club's previous disciplinary record. A financial penalty is therefore not the only possible outcome, and the potential activation of the suspended ban would not necessarily exclude a new sanction for the incident in Žilina itself.
Why the existing suspended punishment is crucial
In its August 2024 decision, UEFA considered together the events at two of Hajduk's away matches. The throwing of objects, the lighting of pyrotechnics and crowd disturbances were recorded against HB Tórshavn on 1 August and against Ružomberok on 8 August. The €50,000 fine took effect immediately, while the ban on selling tickets to away supporters for the next European away match was suspended for two years. Such a decision gives the club the opportunity to avoid enforcement of the ban if no new similar offence occurs during the probationary period.
UEFA's current rules stipulate that if a new offence of a similar nature is committed during the probationary period, the disciplinary body will generally order the enforcement of the previously suspended measure. A new disciplinary measure is also imposed for the new offence. This provision is precisely why activation of the ban is considered a likely scenario, although only the competent UEFA body can make the final assessment after reviewing the official reports and the club's submission. Media sources state that the decision should be made no later than Wednesday, 22 July, before the first match against Pafos, although UEFA had not separately confirmed that deadline in a public announcement by 20 July.
The similarity between the previous offences and the new one is evident in at least one respect: both cases involve objects thrown from the stands during a European away match. The disciplinary body must nevertheless determine the legal classification of the latest event and decide whether it is sufficiently similar to activate the suspended measure. In doing so, it may take into account the fact that the referee stopped play, even if only briefly, as well as the type of objects that reached the area around the pitch. The club may submit its response, describe the security circumstances and explain the measures taken after the incident, but the official reports of the delegate and referee carry considerable evidentiary weight in UEFA proceedings.
What the ban would mean for the return match against Pafos
Hajduk will play the first match of the second qualifying round against Pafos on 23 July at 9 p.m. at Poljud Stadium in Split. According to the club's official schedule, the return match is set for 30 July in Limassol, Cyprus. If UEFA activates the suspended punishment, Hajduk would be prohibited from selling tickets to its away supporters for that match. The sanction formally concerns the club's sale and official allocation of tickets for the away section, while its practical implementation would have to be coordinated by the clubs with UEFA and the match organiser.
Such an outcome would also have consequences for supporters who have already organised their travel. After Hajduk eliminated Žilina, some of them began booking flights and accommodation for Cyprus, even though the final decision in the disciplinary proceedings was not yet known. A ban on ticket sales does not automatically cancel privately purchased travel or hotel reservations, meaning the financial risk would remain with the travellers, depending on the terms of the transport and accommodation providers. It is therefore important for supporters to distinguish between the confirmed match schedule and the still-unresolved issue of access to the away section.
Pafos has already launched ticket sales for its supporters for the first match at Poljud and published an official travel package to Split. Hajduk has also opened ticket sales for the home match, which is not currently directly affected by a possible ban on away supporters. The disciplinary measure under consideration would apply to the next match in which Hajduk is the visiting team, which, according to the schedule, is precisely the return leg in Cyprus. It would therefore not mean the closure of Poljud or the first match being played without spectators.
An organisational problem has been added to the sporting objective
The tie against Pafos is of major competitive importance for Hajduk because it will determine the continuation of the club's path through Europa League qualifying. The Split side produced two different performances in the first round: a more convincing display in the 2-0 home victory and a considerably more demanding return leg in which Žilina won 2-1. Progress by a one-goal aggregate margin confirmed that, in the early qualifying rounds, even a brief drop in concentration can completely alter the balance of a tie. Ahead of Pafos, the coaching staff must therefore prepare the team for a new two-legged contest, while the club's management simultaneously follows the disciplinary proceedings and their possible logistical consequences.
The absence of organised away support does not determine the result, but it can change the atmosphere and the conditions in which the team plays the decisive match. Hajduk supporters traditionally follow the club in large numbers at European away matches, while the distance to Cyprus already requires more complicated and expensive travel arrangements. A possible ban would further reduce the presence of visiting supporters and place the entire burden of support on the home match in Split. At the same time, the club would once again suffer financial and reputational damage because of the conduct of a relatively small section of the crowd.
The case also demonstrates why UEFA's disciplinary regulations separate the individual responsibility of offenders from the responsibility of the club. Even when the host club or police identify the people who threw the objects, that alone does not eliminate the possibility of sanctioning the club whose supporters committed the offence. The identification of individuals, rapid intervention by stewards and other preventive measures may be considered mitigating circumstances, but they do not guarantee that no punishment will be imposed. In this way, UEFA seeks to encourage clubs to work over the long term on prevention, communication with supporters and the reduction of risks at both home and away matches.
A decision is expected shortly
According to the available information, UEFA's disciplinary body is expected to resolve the case rapidly because of the proximity of the matches against Pafos. The first match will be played only one week after the return leg in Žilina, while the second follows on 30 July, meaning that the clubs, organisers and supporters require timely information about the ticket-sales arrangements. The most likely unfavourable outcome for Hajduk would be the activation of the existing ban for one away match, together with an additional financial penalty for the incident in Slovakia. However, until the decision is officially published, that scenario remains an assessment based on the previous sanction and the rules governing an offence committed during a probationary period.
For Hajduk, the period between the two qualifying rounds has therefore become just as important off the pitch as on it. The club earned the matches against Pafos through its sporting result, but the consequences of several moments in the stands could determine whether it has organised support from its fans in the return leg. The final decision will rest with UEFA's Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body, which must establish the facts, classify the incident and decide whether the suspended measure imposed in August 2024 will be enforced immediately before the expiry of the two-year probationary period.
Sources:
- UEFA – decision of the Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body dated 14 August 2024 concerning Hajduk's punishment following the matches against HB Tórshavn and Ružomberok (link)
- UEFA – Disciplinary Regulations, 2026 edition, provisions on club responsibility, the throwing of objects and the activation of suspended measures (link)
- HNK Hajduk Split – official schedule and results of the matches against Žilina and Pafos (link)
- UEFA – official page of the Žilina–Hajduk return match in the Europa League first qualifying round (link)
- 24sata – information about the opening of proceedings, the objects thrown towards the pitch and the expected decision deadline (link)
- Sportske novosti – confirmation of the delegate's report and the possible impact of the proceedings on the away match against Pafos (link)
- Pafos FC – official announcement concerning the first match of the second qualifying round at Poljud and ticket sales (link)