The banners of FC Porto’s main supporters, Super Dragões and Colectivo 95, were stolen from the club’s museum and burned in Croatia by members of the No Name Boys, an illegal group supporting Benfica. The act took place this Saturday during the Hajduk Split game. The two Porto supporters criticized the assault (“without a name and without honor”), also criticizing the club’s actions, particularly the museum director and the security of the space.
According to information collected by PÚBLICO, the “blue and white” club has already filed a complaint with the authorities, with everything pointing out that the hooligans of Benfica acted in partnership with members of Torcida Split, Haduk Split’s cheerleading squad, ultras with a long-standing “alliance” to the Portuguese radical group.
The videos, widely circulated in groups dedicated to cheerleading and the movement ultra, show the Super Dragões and Colectivo 95 banners displayed backwards on the bench reserved for Torcida Split. Moments later, several supporters armed with torches burn two pieces of history of the groups organized in support of the “blue and white”.
The robbery occurred on the afternoon of March 4, less than 24 hours after the rout of Porto 5-0 against Benfica, at Estádio do Dragão. According to the sports newspaper Recordmembers of both groups sought explanations from the museum, outraged by the theft of the stripes entrusted to the club.
On Saturday night, FC Porto published an announcement in which he shows solidarity with the two supporters, adding that the suspects were identified through video surveillance images. The club now hopes that “the investigation will produce results”.
The “alliance” between No Name Boys and Torcida Split is already known to the authorities, with several incidents linked to these two groups. The most recent occurred in August 2022, after hooligans of the Portuguese fans provided assistance to their Croatian counterparts, helping them to cause disturbances in Guimarães before a Europa Conference League game.
After failing to find V. Guimarães fans, that night’s plans included a short trip to Porto. The radical supporters traveled in rented buses, but were detected by the authorities and stopped before causing any further incidents.
Currently, eight members of the No Name Boys cheerleading squad are on trial, suspected of raping a minor because he had friends from Sporting. The trial takes place at the Justice Campus, in Lisbon.