Croatian football fans are desperately trying to get their hands on tickets for this evening’s European qualifier against Malta despite a blanket ban imposed by the Malta Football Association.

The Times of Malta yesterday spoke to a group of Croatian tourists offering locals €10 each to buy them a ticket for the game.

“They’re banning true football fans who love the game,” said one Croatian fan, who asked not to be named.

“This isn’t about racism,” said another. “The mafia that runs football – Blatter, Platini and the rest of them – are scared of Croatian football and don’t want us to get to a higher level.”

The MFA announced last week that no Croatian citizens would be allowed into the stadium, as part of an agreement with the Croatian FA to prevent racist incidents.

The Croatian fans who spoke to this newspaper, however, are confident they will be able to circumvent the ban. “Don’t worry, we’ll be in the stadium,” one said. “You’ll see us on TV.”