BELGRADE, Oct 17, 2010 (AFP) - Serbian President Boris Tadic blamed organised crime Sunday for rioting that disrupted a gay parade in Belgrade and forced the cancellation of an Euro 2012 qualifying match in Italy.
"Events in Belgrade and Genoa are a response of organised crime and violent groups to the establishment of the state of law (in Serbia)," Tadic told pro-government the Politika daily in an interview.
"Not for a moment should we forget that organised crime uses extreme (football) fan groups to destabilise the state which sends mafia bosses into prison," Tadic said.
"In this fight, Serbia will prevail," he added.
Tadic was referring to violence last weekend in Belgrade where about 6,000 extreme nationalists and hooligans clashed with police at Serbia's first gay parade in almost 10 years.
His remarks also related to a football match in Genoa, northern Italy, aborted Tuesday after just six minutes after Serbian fans threw flares onto the pitch and at rival Italy supporters.
Politika reported on Saturday, quoting sources close to the probe, that two fugitive chiefs of criminal gangs were suspected of paying more than 200,000 euros (280,000 dollars) to football fans behind the rioting in Genoa.
"Organised crime has been connected with violent fan groups and extreme political organisations," Tadic said.
The escalation of violence was a response to Serbia's judicial reform, launched earlier this year, he said.
Serbia has stepped up the fight against organised crime in a bid to meet conditions for membership of the European Union.
