Q1, FK Sarajevo - MarsaxlokkDead Man Walking, Emmylou Harris, Placebo and Seasick Steve on the stereo. So it's an easy 95,7km drive from the office in Vilvoorde, next to Brussels, to Genk. From Sarajevo to Genk is a 17 hour drive through Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands. It’s 1.640 kilometres one way. FK Sarajevo's veteran player does not fly unless he has to. It's the same with Dutch stars Dennis Bergkamp and Willem van Hanegem. But Mirko Turkovic (36) came to Belgium by plane. He had to. FK Sarajevo wants to qualify for Q3 in the Champions League because than the team might play one of the bigger teams in Europe. Imagine Liverpool or Arsenal or Bremen or Valencia or Ajax... That's the Bosnian state of mind. It's also the Genk state of mind. But that's just what it is. They do not seem to live that state of mind. Outside the stadium the Genk fans look relax. The usual mix of very young and very old arrive early. The weather is fine. There's nothing better to do. They look football but they don’t talk football. It's Q2, it's not a real match. It's the first leg, there won't be a decision today. The Genk fanatics make fun of Sarajevo. They make fun of the Balkan war and they tell the story of Turkovic, the playmaker with fear of flying. Q2 is in the pocket. Confidence is big in Genk. There's very few supporters in maroon-coloured shirts. Nice shirts. Legea branded. Beautiful colour, Maroon as in FC Metz, Sparta Praha and AS Roma. Nice and very friendly people. Among them are Bosnians who live in Belgium but most of them travelled from Holland and Germany to Genk. Are they refugees? Or the sons and daughters of war refugees?
The buses from Sarajevo did not arrive yet. Then, close to the television compound outside the stadium, I can see them when they get there. In a metal cage. There's not enough plastic to hide them. 99% young males, not shaven, no need to yet. There's alcohol written all over their faces and when they see me staring at them, they spit. One pisses in my direction. It's the usual. They are angry and they mean it, man. They go through and came to hell to support their team with all the energy they have got in those immature, lean bodies. They sing and they jump. The leaders talk to the police. They are negotiating. Let's be friends. We are rough but will do no real harm. Do not consider us as a dangerous group, only some of us are dangerous individuals. If you see something you do not like, isolate the individuals.
But nothing will happen in Genk. This is football, tribal and national fanatism comes with the sport. It ads colour and maroon really is a beautiful and peaceful colour. Maroon comes from the French word marron and it means chestnut. The castanea sativa is known as the sweet chestnut because you can eat it.
The young men from Sarajevo call themselves Horde Zla, the Evil Horde, nothing sweet in that name. Who are they and what is their history? FK, Fudbalski Klub, Sarajevo is the only team that could break the Croatian and Serbian dominance in the Yugoslav First League. In the beginning, the club was founded in 1946, they were called Pitari, pie makers. The club was formed by the local authorities. Their fan base was originally in the older and in the Bosniak parts of the city. Almost every Bosniak is a Bosnian muslim. But nowadays you can find as many Bosnian Croatians and Serbs in Horde Zla. So it’s not a race thing… The official history of Horde Zla starts in 1987. They consider themselves Yugoslavs and the first nationalist connection still has to be made. The Bosnian war stopped all cultural live in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the siege 329 bombs exploded in Sarajevo every day. From 1992–1995 12.000 inhabitants of the city were killed. A lot of them were buried near the Kosevo Stadium because only heavy canon fire could reach that neighbourhood. You can see thousands of white graves near the stadium of FK Sarajevo. It’s a holy place, the place were the Horde Zla fight their holy wars… In the nineties Pitari joined the Muslim dominated Bosnian army and fought in the war to defend city and country. After the war they took the North stand again. That’s where they will be waiting for Genk on the 8th of August.
Yesterday Genk was the better team. But it’s not always the better team that wins the match. Football has got it’s decisive moments. A communication breakdown featuring goalkeeper Logan Bailly and central defender Eric Matoukou resulted in a 0-1 lead for Sarajevo. Genk made it 1-1 from a penalty.
In the 86’ left back Muharemovic made it 1-2 from a counterattack starring Mirko Turkovic. He played for only 22 minutes but showed his strength.
Racing Genk or FK Sarajevo, who will make it to the next round? This Belgian puts his money on the Bosnians.
In the AA-stand in the Cristal Arena someone wrote Horde Zla Sarajevo 1987 on the steps. It's a scar on Belgian football. Please do not take it away!
Trivia:
- Racing Genk’s centre forward is the Croatian born Ivan Bosnjak.
- Hugo Broos, the Genk-coach played FK Sarajevo in the eighties. 6-1 in Anderlecht. Today’s coach of Sarajevo, Husref Musemic, was in the other team. FK beat Anderlecht 1-0 in Sarajevo.
- Logan Bailly is named after Johnny Logan, the Irish singer.
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