Season 21/22 - February

Cold-Blooded Murder of Football Fan in Thessaloniki Shocks Greece  - 01/02/2022

Source : https://greekreporter.com/

SEE ALSO LAST DAYS OF JANUARY NEWS

The murder of a 19-year-old football fan in Greece’s second-largest city Thessaloniki in the early hours of Tuesday has left the people of Greece shocked and appalled.

The victim, Alkis Kambanos, along with two friends were intercepted and attacked at around 1 AM as they were walking in the street in the eastern district of Harilaou by several people riding in two cars.

The 19-year-old bled to death after being stabbed in the upper thigh, while the other two victims are being treated for multiple injuries at Papanikolaou Hospital.

The murder weapon, a sickle, was discovered by locals a few meters away from the crime scene, next to a garbage bin. Authorities were alerted to the finding and the weapon has been sent to the police crime lab.

Murder in Thessaloniki linked to football hooligans
According to reports, one of the attackers asked the victim which soccer team he backed before launching into the assault. Harilaou is the Thessaloniki district where the football field of the soccer club Aris is located.

Police sources believe that up to ten people were involved in the attack. They suspect that the killing of the Aris fan was carried out by football hooligans of a rival team.

Politicians, football clubs in Greece express abhorrence after murder
In a rare display of unity, Thessaloniki’s football clubs joined forces in condemning the murder.

The soccer club Aris said in a statement “Another young man was killed by a group of murderers, who have been circulating and operating undisturbed in Thessaloniki for years. He made the ‘mistake’ of supporting Aris and being with his friends in their neighborhood.”

Aris’ arch-rival team PAOK issued a statement saying that “our society, our city and our country cannot tolerate the deaths of young people under the pretext of fan preferences. We mourn every loss.”

The logo of the Iraklis football club appeared in yellow and black — the colors of Aris — in solidarity with their Thessaloniki rivals.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his abhorrence of the teen’s murder during a conversation with MPs on the sidelines of a meeting with party officials in Thessaloniki Tuesday and contacted Citizen Protection Minister Takis Theodorikakos asking him that priority be given to the investigation of the crime.

The murder of a 19-year old young man due to football club rivalry is a tragic event that highlights an immense social problem, said SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance party.

In a statement, Syriza party youth representatives in Thessaloniki added that the incident “should concern us all, and be the reason for a definitive end to the bloody cycle of blind, sports-related violence.

“These murderous practices have no place in sports, in our city’s society, or in the history of all sports clubs in Thessaloniki. It is time for everyone to assume their responsibilities,” the party added, while also expressing sincere condolences to the victim’s family.

Hooliganism mars football in Greece
Hooliganism is rife in Greece, with clashes between rival fans and the police a common occurrence. Greek football authorities have banned traveling supporters out of fear of riots.

Several officials have been accused of inciting violence with violent behavior.

One of the most notorious incidences of violence was in 2018. A big match between first-division teams PAOK Thessaloniki and AEK Athens descended into rioting after a controversial offside decision.

PAOK owner Ivan Savvidis charged onto the pitch with a holstered pistol on his belt and could only be calmed down from causing further mayhem by his own security personnel. After that disturbing incident, the operation of the Greek Super League was suspended for 16 days.

Greece:  Hooligans’ arsenal found at fan club - 02/02/2022

Source : https://www.ekathimerini.com/

Police investigating the murder of 19-year-old Alkis Kampanos in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, in the early hours of Tuesday discovered a veritable hooligans’ arsenal at a soccer team fan club suspected of being linked to the perpetrators.

Officers seized a wide range of weapons and potential weapons including folding knives, firecrackers, helmets, metal pipes, wooden bats, shovels and hammers.

So far, a 23-year-old man has been arrested over the fatal stabbing of Kampanos.

Greece:  Police Arrest Suspect for Murder of 19-Year-Old in Thessaloniki - 02/02/2022

Source : https://www.thenationalherald.com/

Public Order and Citizen Protection Minister Takis Theodorikakos on Wednesday informed Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis that a 23-year-old man has been arrested as a suspect for the murder of a 19-year-old in Thessaloniki, in what appears to be an incident of sports-related violence.

“I contacted Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to inform him that a short while ago, the alleged perpetrator of the murder of 19-year-old Alkis in Thessaloniki was arrested. The Hellenic Police in this instance are doing their duty.

“I want to express my all my heart my deepest condolences to the family of Alkis, whose life was so unfairly and prematurely cut short. I know this will not alleviate the pain of his loved ones. At least, justice will be served,” Theodorikakos said on social media.

Police on Wednesday reported the arrest of a suspect for the murder of a 19-year-old in the Thessaloniki district of Harilaou the previous day.

Police sources said the suspect was a 23-year-old man of Albanian descent, who owns one of the two cars in which the perpetrators of the attack were riding. His role in the incident has not yet been fully clarified but sources said that he has been placed at the scene.

The suspect was brought in to the Thessaloniki police headquarters for questioning on Tuesday night and is to appear before a public prosecutor on Thursday.

According to witness accounts, the victim and four other young men, two of which were injured, were brutally attacked by a group of rival football team supporters riding in two cars in the early hours of Tuesday morning, for no other reason than that they supported a different team.

The chronicle

Greece’s second-largest city and major port of Thessaloniki has seen a surging outbreak of violence from groups said to be extreme rightists and soccer hooligans accosting victims, a 19-year-old student killed with a sickle.

In a report on the rising troubles, Kathimerini said there’s been a line of bloodh incidents “and a reminder that the violence that started in the spectator stands has now spread to the streets.”

People placed candles, flowers and notes, as well as scarves and jerseys of the Aris soccer team the site where the victim, Alkiviadis Kampanos, was killed in an attack where reports said he was asked what team he supports.

The rival PAOK – owned by Greek-Russian Ivan Savvidis who carried a gun onto the field during a championship match and had an arrest warrant issued again that wasn’t carried out – is known for having violent fans.

Kampanos was sitting with four friends when a group of at least 10 people in two cars pulled up and demanded to know what team they supported before they were attacked with sharp objects, one said to be a sickle later found nearby. He also reportedly had head injuries.

Kampanos was stabbed in the upper thigh and bled to death while two of his friends, aged between 18 and 20, were being treated for injuries to the head and buttocks, the paper said.

Police took 15 suspects into custody, none of them named, and arrested one in an incident that shocked a city used to clashes and violence and alarmed residents, who told police they saw where the weapon was dumped.

A neighbor who lives next to the spot, Lambros Pseftakis, told Kathimerini he heard a commotion and by the time he got to the scene, the ambulance had already arrived. “My neighbor told me she could hear the young man shouting, ‘Don’t hit me anymore, guys.’” he said.

Kampanos was a fan of the Aris team, but was not a club member, the report said, with speculation that the soccer-driven violence is now spreading beyond the stadia where games are held.

“There is an increase in fan violence, especially in recent months in Thessaloniki,” said Stella Doukou, a professor in the Department of Physical Education and Sports Science at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

“Sometimes people resort to violence when they are oppressed, discriminated against, socially excluded or deprived, or when they feel out of control,” she told the paper.

In a statement, officials of Aris said that, “It was the cold-blooded murder of a 19-year-old child who, according to the testimonies, was a victim of the street ‘patrols’ conducted by assailants who were thirsty for blood.”

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed horror over the teen’s murder when talking with Members of Parliament on the sidelines of a meeting with party officials in Thessaloniki, the paper said.

He contacted Citizen Protection Minister Takis Theodorikakos asking him that priority be given the investigation of the crime that has left residents of the city reeling in dismay.

Aristotle University rector Nikos Papaioannou said, “Alkis had his whole life ahead of him. He came to our university to make his dreams come true. Instead, he fell victim to blind fan violence. We are all devastated and we condemn in the most categorical way this heinous event.”

Soccer fan violence is common in Greece, even in the stands where they are allowed to set off flares and incendiary devices and frequently throw objects on the field and rivals attacking each other in the streets.

The chairmen of Aris football team and its amateur division offered to pay for legal representation in court of the family of Alkiviadis Kampanos.

Celebrity lawyer Alexis Kougias revealed he had been contacted by the two officials to represent the family of the young Aris fan at court, at their expense. He said in a statement that he would not accept any legal fees to represent the family against the nearly 10 defendants who were PAOK fans, but would do it gratis.

Aris Thessaloniki - AEK Athens - 02/02/2022

Source : https://www.ekathimerini.com/

Aris FC pays tribute to slain fan



Fans of Thessaloniki side Aris hoisted banners paying tribute to Alkis Kambanos in their home grounds, two days after the 19-year-old student was murdered in an incident involving hooligans from a rival club.

The banners went up in Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium shortly before a scheduled match with visiting Athens side AEK.

“Words are unnecessary. Rest in peace, Alkis. You were taken in a cowardly and unjust way. May your soul be our guide,” the banner stated.

Both sides held a minute’s silence before the game and laid wreaths.

Earlier, Aris players laid a jersey displaying the number 19 at the spot where the young man was killed.

Photographers covering the match said they would produce only black-and-white images of the game as an expression of their sorrow and anger at Kambanos’s murder.

Earlier, police arrested a man in connection with the incident after he was identified by one of the victims. He is a member of the Palaion Patron Germanou Street PAOK fan club and has a history of violence-related offenses, including charges of assault with a bladed weapon in 2019 near the scene of the recent murder.

Celtic Glasgow - Glasgow Rangers - 02/02/2022

Source : https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/

Green Brigade (Celtic) ultras have attacked a Rangers fans pub.






Carnage broke out when punters emerging from The Alexandra pub made their way to The Crown Creighton in Glasgow, sparking a horrifying brawl that forced a massive police response.

Horrifying footage shows the moment a mass brawl erupted in Glasgow's east end ahead of the Celtic v Rangers match at Parkhead Stadium.

Carnage broke out when revellers started fighting in Duke Street not long before 7pm on Wednesday evening, after emerging from The Alexandra pub to make their way to The Crown Creighton, the Daily Record reports.

Screaming, shouting, sirens and smashed glass can be heard in the clip as police officers scramble out of vans to pull thugs apart in the street.

The fights even brought cars to a stop on the main road which runs right through the east end of the city as locals watched on in horror.

Glasgow brawl

A mass brawl broke out in the middle of the road in Glasgow
A statement from the council's Traffic Control and Management team reads: "Due to an RTA, Duke Street is closed in both directions at Garfield Street. Emergency services are in attendance."

The road has since been reopened.

Huge crowds caused a mass disturbance in the area as officers desperately try to move them on.

A massive stream of revellers was spotted sprinting up Cumbernauld Road, which runs past Duke Street train station.

No allegations of injuries or arrests have been made at this stage.

The exact circumstances surrounding the incident are unknown at this time.

The news comes as Celtic take on Rangers in a Scottish Premiership clash at nearby Parkhead Stadium at 7.45pm.

It is the first-midweek showdown between the Scottish Premiership giants in 11 years, with the last one the infamous 'Shame Game'.

According to Glasgow Live, Police Scotland confirmed they were in attendance at an ongoing incident on the street.

Chief Superintendent Mark Sutherland, Divisional Commander for Greater Glasgow, said: “Ahead of the match between Celtic and Rangers at Celtic Park on Wednesday, 2 February 2022, an appropriate policing plan is in place to maintain public safety and minimise any disruption to the community.

“We continue to work with a range of partners ahead of the match including both Celtic Football Club and Rangers Football Club.”

KV Kortrijk - Royal Antwerp FC - 02/02/2022

Source : Walfoot

(...)
Very tense, the game remained full of suspense... until the last minute of regulation time, Pieter Gerkens taking advantage of the boulevards left by an attacking KVK to make it 0-2 (89th). A but which created anger among the Kortrijk supporters, whose excesses forced the referee to bring the players temporarily into the locker room. Some Flandrian ultras even went to the official platform to protest against their management.





******
Source: focus-wtv.be

KVK supporters punched a steward, one hooligan arrested

On Wednesday evening, the make-up match KV Kortrijk - FC Antwerp degenerated into riots. If Antwerp supporters start to celebrate in the stands, it is not to the liking of KVK fans. Stewards try to stop them, but take the blows. One person even has to go to the hospital.

Although it is prohibited by the corona measures, some Antwerp supporters were in the stands of KV Kortrijk. The make-up match ends with a final goal in the 91st minute. The supporters of the visitors' team jump up to celebrate, after which the KVK fans go to the same stand. Their own stewards try to stop them. One of them is injured and has to be taken to hospital.

The public prosecutor says that the police have arrested a 26-year-old man from Harelbeke. He is known for hooliganism, in 2019 he already received a community service order for similar offences. He was summoned in summary trial for intentional assault and battery resulting in incapacity for work. The case will be heard on March 16.

Thessaloniki teen’s murder suspect to appear before prosecutor
- 03/02/2022

Source : https://www.ekathimerini.com/

The main suspect in the murder of a 19-year-old man in Thessaloniki last Tuesday will appear before a prosecutor on Thursday.

According to the police file, the 23-year-old could face charges of homicide with intent, causing dangerous bodily harm,  getting involved in a clash resulting in death, as well as violations of the laws on weapons and sports.

Police sources said the suspect had been previously involved in another incident of hooligan violence in March 2019 near the scene of Tuesday’s killing. The case file from that incident has still not moved forward.

Alkiviadis Kampanos, a student, was sitting with four friends when a group of at least 10 individuals traveling in two cars pulled up asking them which club they supported. They then attacked them with sharp objects, one of which was a karambit knife.

The 19-year-old was stabbed in the upper thigh and bled to death while two of his friends, aged between 18 and 20, were being treated for injuries to the head and buttocks.

Two friends of the victim, aged 19 and 20, were injured in the deadly attack. Repoted to be in good health, the two are expected to be discharged from Papanikolaou hospital on Thursday.

In a raid on a hangout for PAOK football club fans in central Thessaloniki, police found a mini-arsenal of weapons, including icepicks, knives, lump hammers, shovels, fireworks, wooden and metal bats and pitchforks.  

Assault footage:


Arrest footage:

Greece: Murder sparks crackdown on hooligans - 03/02/2022

Source : https://www.ekathimerini.com/

Signaling the government’s determination to crack down on hooligan violence after the murder of 19-year-old Alkis Kampanos this week in Thessaloniki, police Thursday raided fan clubs associated with the PAOK and Aris soccer teams in the northern port city.

The police investigation focused its attention on the PAOK Makedones club and on the association of PAOK fans in Stavroupoli.

Kathimerini understands that associations of organized PAOK fans in Evosmos, Ampelokipi and elsewhere were also raided.

Until late Thursday, there was no information from the police about the findings of the investigations. Reports, however, suggested that a large cache of confiscated items (helmets, switchblades, etc.) had been transferred to police forensic laboratories.

A day earlier, police also raided the Thyra 4 club of PAOK on ​​Paleon Patron Germanou Street which was where, according to the investigation, the 23-year-old alleged perpetrator went with three other people immediately after the fatal attack on Kampanos.

Kathimerini also understands that law enforcement authorities have video footages at their disposal which shows the alleged perpetrator and the three others entering the club.

“The 23-year-old was so flustered that he got out of the car without pulling the handbrake,” an official at the Citizens’ Protection Ministry told Kathimerini.

The 23-year-old was charged Thursday with one count of homicide and two of attempted murder. He was given until Monday to prepare his defense.

In addition, he was sentenced to four years in prison over the items found in the association at Paleon Patron Germanou. These items included knives, wooden and metal bats, helmets and lead pipes. He claimed he was not a member of the association but police found keys for its door on him.

One of the two people who were injured in the attack told police they recognized the 23-year-old, saying he was holding a crowbar. In addition, one of the cars seen in the video of the attack belongs to the suspect.

The investigation is ongoing to find the other participants in the attack. It remained unclear whether it was the 23-year-old or one his accomplices that dealt the blow that killed Kampanos during the late-night attack.

Lucchese: troubles at the stadium, 5 Cremonese ultras in Court  - 03/02/2022

Source : https://www.cremonaoggi.it/

Out of nine Cremonese ultras who got into trouble after the clashes that took place on December 8, 2016 at the Porta Elisa stadium in Lucca, 4 will be put on trial, the other 5 will appear in a preliminary hearing.
These last ones, identified, denied having participated in the scuffles.
The supporters of the grigiorossi had been accused of violence and resistance to public force.
At the end of the match, won 1-0 for the Lucchese, they tried to confront local supporters. After the police intervened, they were blocked but attacked the men in uniform. The result will be three police officers injured and hospitalized.

Crystal Palace - Hartlepool United - FA Cup - 05/02/2022

Source : Mail

Swindon Town - Exeter City - FA Cup - 05/02/2022

Source : https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/

Heavy police presence as Exeter City fans come to town for football match

Police were prepared for any trouble this morning. Officers were stationed outside the train station and the designated away pub The Great Western Hotel on Station Road.

At least 10 police vans and two police cars were used to escort the  supporters to the County Ground for the 3pm kick-off. Officers surrounded the crowd and kept them contained to one side of the road.

Chelsea FC - Plymouth Argyle - FA Cup - 05/02/2022

Source : https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/ + Mail

Thousands of Plymouth Argyle fans swarmed through London on the way to see their team take on Chelsea in the FA Cup.

Plymouth lads

HNK Gorica - Hajduk Split - 05/02/2022

Source : https://www.klikaj.hr/

That is, on the eve of the match of the 22nd round of the local football championship, in which Hajduk and Gorica played, a big clash of hooligans took place.

Supporters of both teams filled the streets of Velika Gorica, and they fought them.

Dozens of fans quarreled, and local media reported that the Zagreb Bed Blue Boys, who support Dinamo, and of which Split’s Hajduk is their biggest rival, allegedly appeared in the role. “home team”.

Torches, poles, belts, bars and bricks were part of the hooligan arsenal, which seriously injured one person, while police arrested eight rioters.

Hull City - Preston North End - 05/02/2022

Source : Mail

Real Zaragoza - Málaga CF - 05/02/2022

Source : Mail

Malaga




Avispero Zaragoza

Serbia (waterpolo) : Red Star Belgrade - Sabac - 05/02/2022

Source : https://rs.n1info.com/

Red Star fans give a thorny welcome to new water polo team coach

Mirko Vicevic, the new coach of the Red Star water polo team, was greeted with nationalist chants during the match that his team played against the Sabac players in Belgrade on Saturday, the Vecernje novosti daily reported.

“Shiptar, Croat, Balija, they are not my brothers,” said one of the banners seen in the crowd during the game, mentioning derogatory names for the Albanians and Bosniaks, but also the Croats in reference to Vicevic’s ethnicity.

The Red Star fans were also chanting the slogans with name of Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb military leader, who was sentenced for war crimes and genocide at the UN’s court.

Notts County - Grimsby Town - 05/02/2022

Source : Mail

Grimsby youth

Morecamb FC - Bolton Wanderers - 05/02/2022

Source : https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/

Five Bolton fans arrested after disturbance on the pitch

The league one fixture had to be suspended for 10 minutes and players were removed from the pitch after numerous racial slurs were directed to the Bolton bench.

But once the game at the Mazuma Stadium resumed and Wanderers equalised a number of their fans went onto the pitch.

Following this five supporters of the club have been arrested for offences including being drunk and disorderly, pitch encroachment and an assault on a police officer.

Morecambe FC has also pledged to investigate with the police about the alleged racist remarks.

Insp James Martin, of Morecambe Police, condemned fans who misbehaved at the game.

He said: “Some of the behaviour at this afternoon’s match was utterly disgraceful and completely unacceptable.

“We will be working closely with Morecambe FC to identify those responsible so that we can take the appropriate action.”

France : Red Star FC - Stade Briochin - 04/02/2022

Source : Mail

Red Star banner and flags stolen by Wolf Squad Paris.

Rotherham United - Accrington Stanley FC - 05/02/2022

Source : https://www.dailyadvent.com/

"They're not who we are" ... Rotherham United manager Paul Warne condemns the pitch-invaders who stained today's Millers victory

BOSS Paul Warne has spoken of his "huge embarrassment" after pitch-invading Rotherham United fans marred the 1-0 victory that took the Millers six points clear at the top of League One today.

As opponents Accrington Stanley were waiting to take a late penalty, two supporters jumped out of the North Stand and ran on to the playing surface at AESSEAL New York Stadium.

One of them made physical contact with Accies player Harry Pell was was about to try to score an equaliser from the spot.

Warne said: “I am hugely embarrassed. It's awful because I don't get to talk about how good we were at defending the box, how good the penalty save or how good are last-ditch defending was.

“I can only apologise on behalf of the club. I have apologised to all of Accrington's staff. We don't want it at this club. It's not who we are."

Stanley boss John Coleman claimed the contest should have been called off before Pell's kick was kept out by Josh Vickers.

“I have never seen anything like that in my life," he said. "I was expecting the game to be abandoned.

“It is one of those situations where Pelly is desperate to take the penalty because he has been assaulted. Was it the right thing to do? It's easy to be wise after the event. He hasn't meant to miss.

“I feel physically sick. I am beat and I have nothing more to offer. I am sure the authorities will do what they have to do.”

Nottingham Forest - Leicester City - FA Cup - 06/02/2022

Source : https://fanbanter.co.uk/

Leicester fans smash up Nottingham bar windows prior to FA Cup tie




Leicester fans took to smash up the windows of Nottingham bar ‘Fatcats’ prior to the two side’s FA Cup tie on Sunday afternoon.

The City Ground is gearing up to host its second East Midlands derby in quick succession – just 15 days on from the Reds’ match against rivals Derby County.

Police said that they would be on hand to ensure everyone attending this afternoon’s FA Cup clash between Nottingham Forest and Leicester City enjoys the match safely.

However it would seem trouble flared up just hours before the game took police, with hooligans of Leicester spotted throwing chairs, and smashing windows of a cafe/bar in the opposition’s city.





Leicester lads


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Source : https://www.dailymail.co.uk/

Leicester fan arrested after running on the pitch to confront celebrating Nottingham Forest players after they had just scored to go 3-0 up in FA Cup fourth-round tie

The individual briefly managed to become part of the celebratory huddle before being pushed away by Forest's players.

Stewards were quick to react and he was soon tackled to the ground before being taken away by police.

Wolverhampton Wanderers - Norwich City - FA Cup - 05/02/2022

Source : https://www.edp24.co.uk/new

'Fans climbed over fences to escape' - City supporters attacked after cup win

Norwich City fans had to climb over fences to escape attacks from Wolverhampton Wanderers supporters following the Canaries 1-0 FA Cup win at Molineux.

Canaries' supporters reported being punched, kicked and stamped on as they tried to leave the stadium following fourth round tie on Saturday.

Celta Vigo - Rayo Vallecano - 05/02/2022

Source : https://www.farodevigo.es/ + https://thesaxon.org/

Massive fight between Celta and Rayo ultras outside Balaídos

Celta ultra fans and Rayo Vallecano staged this Saturday a massive fightoutside the Balaídos municipal stadium, where the two teams met on the twenty-third day of LaLiga Santander.

Members of the Bukaneros group, a radical Rayo supporters club and twinned with the Riazors Blues (radical fans of Deportivo de La Coruña), met with a group of Celtarras in Praza da Miñoca to fight with sticks, chairs, bottles and tables from bars in the area.

The National Policeis reviewing the images to try to identify those involved, but for the moment there have been no arrests, police sources informed Efe.

with several wounded, although none of them seriously despite the fact that one of them, unconscious on the ground, received a bullet. He was kicked in the head, as can be seen in one of the videos that have been published on social networks and are already being analyzed by the security forces.

Oxford United - Portsmouth FC - 05/02/2022

Source : Mail

Portsmouth Youth

Southampton FC - Coventry City - FA Cup - 05/02/2022

Source : Mail

Coventry lads