Prague Derby Overshadowed by Provocations: Police Foil Fan Attack, Scandalous Banners Fly in the Stands

On Sunday, August 30, ahead of the 318th Prague derby between Sparta and Slavia, police thwarted an attack by a group of fans armed with paving stones and combat gloves. According to Czech police, around twenty people had pried up cobblestones near the Metronome monument and begun disguising themselves in preparation for ambushing a march of rival supporters. All those involved have been identified, one man was detained for a misdemeanour, and two further clashes were prevented on Korunovační Street.

A march of several hundred Slavia fans, all dressed in white, set off from the National Theatre three hours before kick-off. Along the way and inside the stadium, they chanted slogans against Sparta's new security advisor Jiří Kolomouris and club chairman Jaroslav Tvrdík, shouting "Tvrdík, get out!" They also unfurled a banner insulting Kolomouris, one that had already been taken down outside the stadium in Eden.

Jurásek Booed, Banners Recall His Past

Slavia fans reserved special hostility for former club player Matěj Jurásek, now on loan at Sparta from Norwich. Supporters jeered him during the warm-up and repeated their abuse the moment he stepped onto the pitch in the second half. By the end of the match, a banner had appeared in the stands demanding Jurásek "clear off to Kufrhaus."

Life hasn't been easy for Jurásek lately — after his debut against Teplice, he publicly apologised to Sparta fans for past remarks and was applauded in response, though the sincerity of that applause is now being questioned.

"Death to Sparta" and Accusations of Antisemitism

The usual mutual jeering between the two clubs was also on full display: the away section chanted "Death to Sparta" during the warm-up, while the home stands responded almost as soon as Slavia took the pitch by singing "Jew Slavia" — a chant the club considers antisemitic.

About 25 minutes before kick-off, Sparta coach Brian Priske personally worked to rile up the crowd, jumping along the touchline and gesturing for fans to make as much noise as possible. In response, Sparta supporters displayed a provocative banner featuring images of Kolomouris, Tvrdík, and a scantily dressed woman in Slavia's colours holding a cigarette. Pyrotechnics were set off in both stands, and the smoke caused a brief delay to kick-off.

Controversial Banner Referencing a War Criminal

After the break, both fan sections simultaneously displayed banners reading "Pyrotechnics in the stands are not a problem for Czech football" and jointly sang "Czech football for the fans," regardless of club allegiance — a similar gesture had been made by fans in Plzeň the day before.

Tomáš Chorý was also booed when substituted, having been sent off in the previous unfinished derby for striking Asger Sørensen. And late in the match, an extremely controversial banner reading "RIP General" alongside a Serbian flag appeared in the home end behind the goal — apparently a reference to the late Ratko Mladić, the former Bosnian Serb army commander convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes during the Yugoslav wars. Mladić died on Thursday in a prison in The Hague at the age of 84; that same evening, he was commemorated by Crvena Zvezda fans in Plzeň, sparking a separate controversy.

The match ended in a 3:0 win for Slavia, with Ayoze Aiyegun sealing it with a goal in stoppage time. Chorý celebrated emotionally, kicking the ball into the away stand and raising his arms in triumph, which prompted opposing fans to pelt him with cups; minor scuffles broke out with Sparta players, into which defender Adam Ševínský — who had spent the entire match on the bench — got involved. As the final whistle blew, Sparta's players were sent off to chants of "Fight for Sparta."

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Around Prague, based on reporting by sport.cz