“Terrible Incidents” in Athens
22-year-old fan dies after knife attack
8/8/2023 1:33 p.m
A 22-year-old man was stabbed to death in a mass brawl between hooligans from AEK Athens and Dinamo Zagreb. He succumbs to his injuries in the hospital. The Greek police speak of a “serious” incident and arrest 96 people, UEFA postpones the qualifying game for the Champions League.
A Greek football fan has been stabbed to death in a dispute between rival supporters in a suburb of Athens. According to the police, the 22-year-old was immediately taken to a hospital on Monday evening, where he succumbed to his injuries. The incident happened before the Champions League qualifier between AEK Athens and Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb, originally scheduled for Tuesday. The European Football Union (UEFA) postponed the game.
According to the police, eight other people were injured – three Greeks and five Croats. “A serious incident happened in front of the Nea Filadelfia stadium,” the Greek police said. “A young Greek was stabbed and other injured people are in the hospital.” A total of 96 people had been arrested by Tuesday morning.
According to the Greek news agency Ana, investigations have been launched, and those arrested are to be heard by the public prosecutor’s office on Tuesday. About a hundred hooligans from the Croatian club were present in the Greek capital, reports Ana.
UEFA postpones qualifying game
“UEFA regrets the horrific incidents that have taken place in Athens in which one person has died,” the association wrote in a statement. After the riots and in consultation with the local authorities, it was decided “that the conditions for playing the game between AEK Athens and Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday were not met”. The new date is August 18th or 19th.
Greek football has been overshadowed by violence in the past, and last year the government increased the maximum penalty for fan violence after a knife attack from six months to five years. 19-year-old Alkis Kampanos was killed in February 2022 in Thessaloniki in a fight between supporters of city rivals Aris Thessaloniki and PAOK.
Last month, seven defendants were found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. Five other people received prison sentences of more than 19 years for complicity. It was the third death from fan violence in Thessaloniki alone in three years.