A bus carrying Partizan Belgrade basketball players was stoned overnight on the Croatian coast by unknown assailants and one person was slightly injured, police said yesterday.

The incident occurred in the central coastal town of Zadar after an Adriatic league (NLB) match between Zadar and Partizan Belgrade, while the Serbian club’s players were being driven to the airport.

A 37-year-old man on the bus was slightly hurt in the incident but he refused medical help, police said.

Local media indentified him as Partizan Belgrade coach Vladimir Jovanovic.

The Adriatic league comprises teams from Bosnia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Montenegro, Slovenia and Serbia. Zadar won Sunday’s match 91-88.

Ties between Croatia and Serbia have gradually improved since the 1991-1995 war sparked by Zagreb’s proclamation of independence from the former Yugoslavia, op-posed by ethnic Serbs.

However, matches between clubs from the two countries are still considered as high-risk events.

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