Alexander Ceferin traveled to Greece following the massive riots in Athens last week. The UEFA president, together with the Greek government, announced tougher measures to tackle hooliganism and fan violence. “Violence and hooliganism is not a Greek problem, it is a European problem,” he said. UEFAPresident Alexander Ceferin at a meeting with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens on Wednesday.
You shouldn’t call these people fans, they are “cancer of football, they use it for their stupid ideas”. Mitsotakis announced tough measures for Greece. All organized fan clubs should be shut down. That said, in future there will be only one official fan club associated with the club. In addition, police powers at stadiums will be expanded and controls will be tightened.
The meeting was also attended by the bosses and representatives of the four leading Greek clubs Panathinaikos Athens, Olympiakos Piraeus, AEK Athens and PAOK Thessaloniki. Mitsotakis also called on clubs to take responsibility and fight against fan violence. Everyone must unite, said the joint statement, and that too across Europe.
Serious riots broke out last week ahead of a Champions League qualifier between AEK Athens and Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb. About 150 Croatian hooligans rioted in Nea Philadelphia, a suburb of Athens. During serious rioting, a Greek fan was stabbed to death.
Originally, there was an agreement between the clubs AEK Athens and Dinamo Zagreb not to allow fans to attend games. Nevertheless, 150 to 200 Croatian goons landed in Greece. TV footage showed fans setting fire to rubbish bins and branches, smashing cars and shop windows and fighting with Greek supporters. Eight people were injured. Since then, around 100 Croatian and other nationalities fans are in Greek prisons. the first stage in athens was from here UEFA Canceled and adjourned to 19 August.
Mitsotakis assured that those responsible for the fan’s death would be found and punished. The head of government also declined to intervene on behalf of other states. Croatian President Zoran Milanovic previously accused Athens authorities of treating Croatian hooligans like prisoners of war. Mitsotakis clarified, “Greece is a constitutional state, there are laws, the judiciary is independent.”
