ABSTRACT
The first case of coronavirus infection noted in Croatia was on February 25, 2020. At the outset, while many of their peers did not take the situation or the precautionary measures seriously, radical soccer fans (‘ultras’) mobilized forces and made themselves available to the crisis management offices. In the city of Split, Zagreb ultras groups became a key factor in providing logistical help to hospitals, and when the government announced a general quarantine, the ultras organized by neighborhood into a network of volunteers to deliver food and medication to people in isolation. The media, which until recently had participated in labeling and stigmatizing fan groups, were forced, albeit with some reservations, to portray the ultras in a different light. In addition to descriptions of media discourse, this research explains the actions of fan groups on the basis of broader research on the ultras subculture, including additional data collection during Covid-19.
