A grotesque scene unfolded on the outskirts of Athens Monday as a Greek soccer fan died in a tragic brawl that erupted between rival membership supporters.
The aftermath of the conflict was marked by a staggering 96 arrests within the wake of violent confrontations.
The incident unfolded forward of the UEFA Champions League qualifying third-round showdown between AEK Athens and Croatian contenders, Dinamo Zagreb.
As anticipation gripped the air, the Nea Filadelfeia stadium’s neighborhood grew to become an area of chaos and despair.
According to Greek authorities, a chilling story of violence unfolded, leaving a 22-year-old Greek man fatally wounded.
He died after being rushed from the suburban battleground to an Athens hospital.
“A serious incident took place outside the Nea Filadelfeia stadium,” shared Greek police. “A young Greek man was stabbed to death, and six other injured individuals are now in hospital.”
Among the wounded is a minor, struck by a stone within the head.
As investigations intensify, these apprehended within the aftermath of the violence are poised to face the judgment of the state prosecutor, scheduled for Tuesday.
Last yr, the Greek authorities responded with heightened measures, rising the utmost sentence for fan violence crimes from a mere six months to a extra becoming five-year time period.
A haunting backdrop to this tragic saga, the reminiscence of Alkis Kampanos, a 19-year-old who died as a result of frenzy of fan rivalry, looms giant.
The confrontation in February 2022 between supporters of Aris Thessaloniki and PAOK, rival golf equipment from the northern metropolis of Thessaloniki, claimed his life, a grim echo of the darkness that lingers amid the attract of soccer fervor.
Justice was served for Kampanos final month, as seven defendants have been discovered responsible of his homicide, and sentences of life imprisonment have been handed down.
Others confronted penalties, with sentences exceeding 19 years for his or her complicity within the heartbreaking incident.
The chilling statistics unveil a grim sample, because the incident marked the third loss of life attributed to fan violence inside a mere three-year span in Thessaloniki alone.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
