A group of young men "who carried no sporting characteristics" attacked a group of four fans of Spanish football club Betis in the centre of Zagreb, causing them minor injuries and stealing a rucksack, Zagreb police said on Wednesday.

Three Spanish nationals aged 23, 24 and 27 and a 34-year-old Frenchman were attacked in Ilica Street in Zagreb at around 1am on Wednesday.

They were approached by several unidentified young men as they stood in front of a hostel. They sprayed them with pepper spray, snatched the bag containing the Betis scarf from the Frenchman and fled the scene.

The attackers also stole two Betis flags.

The foreigners received emergency medical treatment at the scene and suffered minor injuries, according to the police in Zagreb.

The Spanish newspaper Diario de Sevilla reported that the Betis fans were attacked when they were looking for the hostel where they were to be accommodated. The Spaniards said Croatian police told them they were trying to find the stolen items and that they had been attacked by the Dinamo FC supporters known as the Bad Blue Boys because their premises are close to where the incident took place, not far from the main square in Zagreb.

There was no comment from the Bad Blue Boys on Wednesday evening in response to Hina’s enquiry.

There is no information about arrests for the time being. The police stated that they are continuing the investigation.

The match between Dinamo and Betis will be played on Thursday at 6.45pm.