At a time when the football world is united in condemning the brutal violence that cost the life of the friend of AEK Michalis Katsouri, fans of Sporting Lisbon and Roma raised banners through which they support the arrested fans of Dinamo Zagreb and Panathinaikos. The Portuguese wrote: "Free the children of BBB", and respectively, the Italians: "Freedom to our brothers from Gate 13".
Check out the photos:
12.08.2023, AS Roma🇮🇹 support banner for Gate13🇬🇷 https://t.co/Fjy3xrlEmQ pic.twitter.com/5WGYyY7yHw
— Hooligans.cz Official (@hooliganscz1999) August 11, 2023
11/08/2023, Sporting🇵🇹 youth with support for BBB (Dinamo Zagreb🇭🇷) pic.twitter.com/i22c6srlHz
— 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐔𝐥𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 (@thecasualultra) August 12, 2023
It is recalled that only two days after the murder of Michalis Katsouris by the hooligans of Dinamo Zagreb and their Greek accomplices from Panathinaikos, Dynamo Kyiv hooligans showed their support for Dinamo Zagreb's Bad Blue Boys (with whom they have a "brotherhood") is truly disgusting.
09.08.2023, Dynamo Kyiv🇺🇦 support friends from Dinamo Zagreb🇭🇷, they are arrested in Athens https://t.co/Fjy3xrlEmQ pic.twitter.com/rk6ZToXB73
— Hooligans.cz Official (@hooliganscz1999) August 9, 2023
The Ukrainians used two rockets (!!!) on which they wrote:
"Free BBB" and "04.08.2023, Athens, BBB are kings of Europe").
This specific move, which we repeat also proves the magnitude of the problem, caused the reaction of dozens of social media users who, in their comments, attacked the fans of Dynamo Kyiv with equally extreme characterisations.
According to police, the fight broke out more than an hour after the visiting team’s training session ended late on Monday, and the couple had left the AEK stadium in the Athens suburb of New Philadelphia under police escort.
About 100 to 120 Dinamo Zagreb fans gathered near the stadium, where AEK supporters had gathered, and fans from both sides hurled Molotov cocktails and stones.
Greek police said the 29-year-old victim, identified only as Mihalis, was transported from the stadium to an Athens hospital, where he died.
Three Greek and five Croatian fans were injured and treated while 98 people were arrested, police added.
According to the public television channel ERT, those injured included a minor who was hospitalised after being hit in the head by a stone.
UEFA deplored the appalling incidents “in the strongest possible terms” and expressed sympathy to the victim’s family.
“Following yesterday’s violence and in consultation with the local authorities, UEFA has decided that the conditions for the match between AEK Athens FC and GNK Dinamo to go ahead tonight are not met,” the football body said in a statement on Tuesday.
“The match planned to be played tonight at Agia Sofia Stadium in Athens is at this moment postponed.”
UEFA, though, said the second leg due to be played in Zagreb on August 15 would go ahead while an alternative date will be found for the postponed match – August 18 or 19 being the suggested possibility.
AEK said in a statement that its fan was killed by “professional killers, organised criminals who crossed the country and arrived in New Philadelphia from Zagreb to join forces here with Greek criminal accomplices with the sole purpose of killing”.
The Greek champions demanded that the perpetrators be brought to justice and said it was “self-evident” that inaction “played a decisive role in this crime”.
Under a previous ruling by UEFA, Dinamo fans, who have a reputation for disorder, were barred from attending stadium matches.
Croatian media reports said about 200 fans had travelled to Athens, likely as tourists, despite the football ban.
READ MORE: SYRIZA accuses Mitsotakis of 'lack of comment on murder of football fan'.
