Varvari
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Varvari are an Ultras group, established in 1987, who support FK Budućnost Podgorica, a football club from Podgorica, Montenegro. They support all Budućnost Podgorica sports clubs which include basketball and handball teams.
[edit] Background
Varvari means barbarians in English, and the groups unofficial mascot is Hägar the Horrible.
The group's traditional colours are blue and white, which are also the colours of all the Budućnost sports clubs. For FK Budućnost Podgorica home games, Varvari stand in northern stand (Sjever) of the Podgorica city stadium. They also have a reserved stand at the Morača Sports Center, as supporters of Budućnost basketball club. However, since the early 2000s they have boycotted basketball team matches, because of a dispute with the clubs management.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Varvari maintained close links with Red Star Belgrade supporters group, Delije.[citation needed] This was seen as a natural extension of the historical and cultural closeness of Montenegro and Serbia, as well as the two republics continuing as part of the same country after the final breakup of SFR Yugoslavia in 1992. However, this Delije-Varvari special relationship changed towards the late 1990s as the relations of Montenegrin and Serbian political leaders within the country became more strained.[citation needed]
During this time Vervari mostly stay away from openly supporting the Montenegrin regime.[citation needed] The focal point for the group during the late 1990s was the basketball club, which started investing heavily while the football club toiled in the lower half of the table. This changed in 2000 when Varvari became embroiled in a row with the basketball club's management. Varvari have since then boycotted the basketball club's matches.[citation needed]
Even though most of the groups members identify themselves as Montenegrins rather than Serbs, and as such are supporters of Montenegrin independence during the 2006 referendum campaign Varvari frequently emphasized the fact they are an apolitical group.[citation needed]
Varvari also appear to be homophobic as they oppose any form of implementation of gay rights in Montenegro. In November 2004 they besieged the building of Montenegrin state television during the guest appearance of a notable gay rights activist, Atila Kovač, from Serbia.[citation needed]
