The statement said Srdjan Orsic of Dalj was attacked by two men aged about 30 in the centre of Vukovar. They demanded he take off the scarf, hitting him on the arms and the head. Orsic later sought medical assistance.
According to the statement, nobody came to Orsic's rescue except for a man who offered him a ride but ordered him out of the car as soon as he saw the scarf in the boy's hands.
The SDSS said supporting a soccer club was a personal freedom guaranteed by numerous laws. It added that unfortunately, even though Croatia was about to join the European Union, there were still people in Vukovar courting the war-time climate of 1991.
Local county police official Tomislav Iljic said Orsic reported the incident on Saturday and that police were looking for the perpetrators.