A Greek soccer fan has been stabbed to dying throughout a brawl between supporters of AEK Athens and Croatian membership Dinamo Zagreb.
Police stated practically 100 individuals had been arrested after the violent clashes, which led European soccer’s governing physique, UEFA, to postpone the Champions League qualifying third-round, first-leg match between the 2 sides that was on account of be performed on Tuesday in Greece’s capital.
In line with police, the combat broke out greater than an hour after the visiting staff’s coaching session ended late on Monday and the staff had left the AEK stadium within the Athens suburb of New Philadelphia underneath police escort.
About 100 to 120 Dinamo Zagreb followers confirmed up close to the stadium, the place AEK supporters had gathered, and followers from each side hurled Molotov cocktails and stones.
Greek police stated the 29-year-old sufferer, recognized solely as Mihalis, was transported from the stadium to an Athens hospital the place he died.
Three Greek and 5 Croatian followers had been injured and being handled whereas 98 individuals had been arrested, police added.
These injured included a minor who was hospitalised after being hit within the head by a stone, based on public tv channel ERT.
UEFA deplored “within the strongest doable phrases the appalling incidents” and expressed its sympathy to the sufferer’s household.
“Following yesterday’s violence and in session with the native authorities, UEFA has determined that the circumstances for the match between AEK Athens FC and GNK Dinamo to go forward tonight are usually not met,” the soccer physique stated in a press release on Tuesday.
“The match deliberate to be performed tonight at Agia Sofia Stadium in Athens is hereby postponed.”
UEFA, although, stated the second leg on account of be performed in Zagreb on August 15 would go forward whereas an alternate date will probably be discovered for the postponed match – August 18 or 19 being the prompt prospects.
‘Preventative measures’
Greek information company ANA stated an investigation had been opened and people arrested would seem earlier than the state prosecutor on Tuesday.
AEK stated in a press release that its fan was killed by “skilled killers, organised criminals who crossed the nation and arrived in New Philadelphia from Zagreb to affix forces right here with Greek legal accomplices with the only objective of killing”.
Μιχάλη, η ΑΕΚ δε θα σε ξεχάσει ποτέ! Παραδειγματική τιμωρία για τους δολοφόνους και τους υπεύθυνους! pic.twitter.com/h0ug4XosVx
— AEK F.C. (@AEK_FC_OFFICIAL) August 8, 2023
Translation: Mihalis, AEK will always remember you! Exemplary punishment for the murderers and people accountable!
The Greek champions demanded that the perpetrators be dropped at justice and stated it was “self-evident” that inaction “performed a decisive function on this crime”.
Underneath a earlier ruling by UEFA, Dinamo followers, who’ve a repute for dysfunction, had been barred from attending stadium matches.
Croatian media experiences stated about 200 followers had travelled to Athens, probably as vacationers, regardless of the soccer ban.
Greece’s left-wing opposition social gathering Syriza criticised authorities, saying police failed to manage Dinamo supporters.
“The Croatian hooligans, who’ve a protracted historical past of hyperlinks with the far proper and violent assaults, crossed the nation with one factor in thoughts – to trigger hassle,” Syriza stated.
“Had been they stored underneath surveillance by the Greek authorities? Had been any preventive measures put in place alongside their route?”
Dinamo condemned the incident.
“Such occasions are usually not in keeping with the values and ethics we promote as a membership and group,” the staff stated in a press release revealed on their web site on Tuesday.
Fan violence
The incident comes within the week earlier than Manchester Metropolis and Sevilla followers come to Athens for the UEFA Tremendous Cup recreation, which is the standard season-opener between the title holders of the Champions League and Europa League. The sport is being performed at Piraeus, a port metropolis within the Athens city space.
Violence has marred a variety of earlier Greek soccer matches, and final yr the federal government elevated the utmost sentence for crimes of fan violence from six months to 5 years after one other stabbing dying.
Alkis Kampanos, 19, was killed in February 2022 within the northern metropolis of Thessaloniki throughout a combat between supporters of town’s rival golf equipment Aris Thessaloniki and PAOK.
Final month, seven defendants had been discovered responsible of his homicide and sentenced to life imprisonment.
5 others obtained sentences of greater than 19 years for complicity.
It was the third dying on account of fan violence in a three-year interval in Thessaloniki alone.
