AEK Athens were due to face Dinamo Zagreb in a Champions League qualifer
AEK Athens’ Champions League third round qualifier against Dinamo Zagreb has been suspended after a fan was stabbed to death on the eve of the game.
Supporters of the Greek and Croatian sides clashed on Monday night ahead of Tuesday’s game, with Times of Malta reporting that a 22-year-old Greek man was taken from the Nea Filadelfeia stadium, on the outskirts of Athens, to a local hospital where he died.
07.08.2023, AEK Athens🇬🇷 vs BBB (Dinamo Zagreb🇭🇷), AEK run https://t.co/Fjy3xrlEmQ pic.twitter.com/GFU1DwWCj7
— Hooligans.cz Official (@hooliganscz1999) August 7, 2023
Greek police have also said that 83 people were arrested after the incident.
A statement from the Police, via Goal said: “A serious incident took place outside the Nea Filadelfeia stadium. A young Greek man was stabbed to death and six other injured people are in hospital.”
🚨❌ 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 | The Champions League qualification match today between AEK Athens – Dinamo Zagreb has been suspended.
An AEK supporter has tragically passed away after being stabbed.
96 arrests and at least 8 people injured overnight, reports @euronews. pic.twitter.com/yvr6TEZGco
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) August 8, 2023
‘Dinamo strongly condemns the riots that took place’
Dinamo Zagreb have also taken to social media and condemned the behaviour of the supporters involved while reminding fans of the Croatian club not to travel to the Greek capital as part of previous agreements.
They said: “GNK Dinamo strongly condemns the riots that took place last night in Athens, in which, according to the reports of the Greek police and Greek and Croatian media, rioters from Croatia were involved in an incident with fans of the Greek football club AEK.
“Such events are not in line with the values and ethics we promote as a club and community. We express our deep concern over this incident. Unfortunately, one person lost his life during the riots. GNK Dinamo would like to express its sincere condolences to the family of the deceased.
“Once again, we remind and invite all Dinamo fans not to travel to the match in Greece, considering that UEFA, in agreement with the police, decided that both matches will be played without visiting fans. GNK Dinamo remains committed to creating an environment in which love for sport is expressed in a positive way, through togetherness, respect and cooperation.”
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