A small group of die-hard Partizan fans displayed a banner reading “Only Jews and Pussies” as a mock-up of the motif of the “Only Fools and Horses” British television comedy series.
“Partizan vehemently distances itself from the anti-semitic banner whose message is an outrageous insult to the vast majority of Serbia’s citizens and to Partizan's true supporters,” the club said on its official website on Friday.
“We condemn the perpetrators of this mindless act which is not just anti-semitic, but also an act of hatred against Partizan and Serbia. It is an insult to the club’s tradition of nurturing anti-fascism and ethnic tolerance.
“We will lend all our assistance to the authorities to identify and prosecute the culprits as well as to ban them from attending sporting events permanently. We apologise to everyone offended and hope that we can maintain our friendship with Tottenham and British football fans.”
Tottenham, many of whose supporters are Jewish, were held to a 0-0 draw in Thursday’s Group D opener having fielded a weakened side with many of their first-choice players left out by coach Mauricio Pochettino.
One of them was left back Danny Rose, who was racially abused by home Serbian fans in the central city of Krusevac in 2012, when England scored in injury time to beat Serbia 1-0 in a Euro Under-21 qualifier.
Serbian football has been rife with violence and racism in the past decade and their ultras also caused a Euro 2012 qualifier between Italy and Serbia to be abandoned in Genoa, when the away fans rioted straight from the kickoff hurling flares at the home fans an on to the pitch.
(Editing by Pritha Sarkar)
