August 08, (THEWILL) – A 29-year-old Greek man died on Tuesday, after being stabbed multiple times during violent clashes between fans of the Greek soccer club, AEK Athens and Croatian club, Dinamo Zagreb, leading to the dismissal of some police officers.
The clashes occurred on Monday night, outside of AEK Athens’ stadium in Nea Philadelphia, ahead of a scheduled Champions League qualifying match between the two clubs. The unnamed victim was an AEK fan, who was stabbed amid fights between 100-120 Dinamo Zagreb fans and groups of AEK supporters who had gathered near the stadium hours after the visiting club’s practice had ended.
Police reported that fans on both sides threw flares, explosives, and stones during the clash which lasted over an hour after Dinamo Zagreb had departed. Eight others were also injured, including 5 Dinamo fans. Police arrested 98 people for participating in the violence.
In a statement, Dinamo Zagreb condemned the incident, insisting that “such events are not in line with the values and ethics we promote as a club and community.” As a result of the violence, UEFA postponed the match to August 19th, saying “violence has no place in our sport.”
Meanwhile, Greek Minister of Citizen Protection Giannis Oikonomou stated it was “unacceptable” that police failed to prevent the deadly incident. Seven officers will be dismissed from their jobs over the security failure. Oikonomou said the state needs to intensify efforts to curb sports violence, which has long plagued Greek soccer. Less than a year ago, a 19-year-old fan of Aris Thessaloniki club was beaten and stabbed to death outside their stadium in 2021.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
