The water polo clash between Montenegro and Croatia delivered all the excitement of a major derby, although it escalated into a disturbance in the stands at the Dubrovnik pool.

According to the report from Index.hr, four Croatian nationals were apprehended for assaulting Montenegrin fans at the Gruž swimming pool.

The altercation took place at the conclusion of the game while Montenegrin fans were celebrating their team’s winning goal, when “provoked local fans surged towards them,” as stated in reports.

“Four citizens of Croatia were detained for disturbing public order and causing a commotion during the match between Croatia and Montenegro at the Gruž swimming pool. They are scheduled to appear in Dubrovnik’s Municipal Court today,” reports Index.

Dubrovnik Press reported that the four individuals aggravated the situation with Montenegrin fans, one of whom was reportedly inebriated.

“Though there were verbal altercations and some pushing, no significant conflict occurred because security and police responded promptly. When Montenegro took the lead, their fans naturally celebrated, which seem to irritate a few individuals who perhaps thought the Montenegrin supporters accidentally ended up at the swimming pool instead of a theater or library,” the media outlet noted.

The Montenegrin water polo team celebrated in their third-round match of the European Championship, while the tension in the Dubrovnik match was further escalated by controversial calls made by referees Jorgos Stavridis from Greece and Tamas Kovač-Čatloš from Hungary.

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