Football fans in Bosnia and Herzegovina witnessed something greater than the game on Monday, 15 September 2025, when FC Željezničar and FC Borac faced off in Sarajevo. Just before kick-off, the players took to the pitch with a clear message: “We are against hate and violence in sports towards anyone.”

This symbolic act united players, clubs, institutions, and fans in a shared stance against hate speech and violence in sport. It also highlighted the unique power of football to bring people from diverse communities together and to inspire positive change both on and off the field.

The initiative, organised as part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe awareness-raising action Block the hatred. Share the love. 2.0, used the popularity of football to promote tolerance, inclusion, equality, and solidarity in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Alongside FC Željezničar and FC Borac, the action was supported by the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Football Association of BiH, with backing from the European Union and the Council of Europe.

This event took place as part of the action “Towards an equal, inclusive and tolerant Bosnia and Herzegovina,” part of the Council of Europe’s and European Union’s joint programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye,” and the Council of Europe project “Combatting discrimination, hatred and racism in Bosnia and Herzegovina” implemented under the Council of Europe’s Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2022-2025.