UEFA President Alexander Ceferin appealed to Europe on Wednesday to join forces in eradicating hooliganism, which he described as "football's malignancy," in the wake of a fatal altercation before a match between AEK Athens and Dinamo Zagreb in Greece.
Following a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens, Ceferin emphasized the pan-European nature of the issue and stressed that collaborative efforts were imperative to prevent future incidents of a similar nature.
Characterizing the problem as pervasive, Ceferin remarked,
"This is the cancer of football and those are not football fans," Ceferin said. "We came to a position where we have to say enough... we have to stop this.
"Violence and hooliganism are not only a Greek problem," he said adding European countries, institutions and media had to work together to help end football violence.
In the aftermath of clashes that resulted in the tragic death of 29-year-old AEK fan Michalis Katsouris in Athens, more than 100 individuals, predominantly Croatian nationals, have faced felony charges and been apprehended pending trial. These pre-trial detentions have sparked political tensions between Greece and Croatia.
Greek diplomats have reassured their Croatian counterparts that the rights of those detained will be fully upheld, seeking to assuage the diplomatic discord.
Greece, grappling with persistent violence on and off the pitch, has persistently attempted to reform its soccer landscape. Notably, a 19-year-old supporter lost his life in a violent incident outside Aris Thessaloniki's stadium last year.
Prime Minister Mitsotakis disclosed that Greece is considering implementing stricter regulations to curtail violence during sporting events, underlining the nation's determination to combat this issue.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday the return match between AEK and Dinamo was played in Zagreb. The first match was postponed after the incident in Athens and has not been rescheduled yet. The game took place in Zagred under heavy police presence and passed without incidents.
