President’s ultimatum to clubs after weekend of soccer violence
PRESIDENT Tassos Papadopoulos yesterday delivered an ultimatum to Cypriot football clubs to rein in their supporters or see state aid axed.
The warning came after a weekend of appalling violence between fans of rival Limassol sides Apollon and AEL, after Apollon clinched the title on Saturday.
Apollon took the title on Saturday with a 3-1 win over Anorthosis Famagusta, but street parties were cut short by clashes with AEL supporters. The clashes resumed with more intensity on Sunday night.
“Clubs not co-operating with the police in naming individuals appearing in pictures or video footage causing trouble or committing violence should not expect any assistance from the state,” Papadopoulos warned yesterday, echoing disgust across the political scene.
Recalcitrant clubs would simply not receive their allotted annual state grant, which is seen as a lifeline by the debt-ridden clubs.
Although conceding that the existing legislation had several weaknesses, Papadopoulos said measures were being taken to combat hooliganism.
A new strategic plan to fight football violence was announced only last week. It is understood that some of the measures will amend existing laws, answering police concerns that their hands are tied by strict laws of evidence, making it virtually impossible to indict troublemakers.
Police said yesterday that people were hurt in Sunday’s violence in central Limassol. Tear-gas was eventually used to disperse crowds.
Fans threw Molotov cocktails, stones, chairs, planks and anything else they could lay their hands on, causing damage to parked cars and shops on Kennedy Street.
Police in the area found it impossible to control the crowd and had to call for reinforcements from the Nicosia Rapid Reaction Unit (MMAD). Eventually, firing tear gas, police managed to divide the warring fans almost two hours after the riots had begun.
According to police, 17 police officers and seven members of the public were injured. There were no serious injuries, except one policeman, who suffered a heart attack and is being treated at the Limassol General Hospital.
The two clubs yesterday traded blame for the violence. Apollon board member Frixos Savvides said police had been ill prepared for the incidents, adding AEL fans had been building up for a fight, preparing Molotov cocktails and filling up supermarket trolleys with stones before the Appolon celebrations began.
“First, Apollon fans have been a model of good behaviour throughout this whole year,” Savvides said yesterday.
“Secondly, our fans were at the celebrations. Thirdly, all these stones that were found there and the Molotov cocktails had clearly been there since the afternoon.”
Predictably, AEL President Agis Agapiou disagreed, hinting it was the Apollon fans who had provoked their AEL rivals.
“Where did all those stones come from? And there were Molotov cocktails, which can’t be rustled up there and then. These two things show that those who caused the episodes – I don’t know who they are – planned this in advance.
“This to me says a lot. This is what the management of both teams must do: we must collaborate so these episodes can finally stop.
“We must find those who are to blame. When you talk to the police you will hear about those who left the area where the celebrations were taking place early to go somewhere else.”
Police Chief Charalambos Koulentis yesterday met with representatives of the two teams and the Mayor of Limassol, Demetris Kontides.
“The substance of the matter is what do we do today, what tomorrow?” Koulentis said after the meeting.
“Everyone must take their share of the responsibility and I as chief of the police will take the share that belongs to me, but I feel we are on our own as far as the prevention of football violence is concerned.”
The police chief sent out a plea to the public to behave with sportsmanship.
“Eight arrest warrants have been issued, two of which have been executed. Six persons are wanted and we have enough witness material in our possession,” said Koulentis.
Police Spokesman Demetris Demetriou said yesterday that initial investigations indicated 50 Apollon supporters had initiated the violence.
And he rejected criticism of the police: “The police had policed a peaceful celebration; 53 policemen had been sent there, but the way things turned out, even if we had 253 men there, what we observed on Sunday night could not have been controlled.”
Two nights of violence
AT AROUND 6.20pm on Sunday, around 6,000 Apollonas supporters gathered at the Enaerios parking lot to celebrate their team’s victory in the championship. A further 2,000 fans were on their way. Fifty-three police officers were on duty.
“While the procession was heading towards Enaerios,” said Police Spokesman Demetris Demetriou, “around 50 Apollon fans who had previously been at the celebrations were seen approaching the AEL building, provoking the AEL fans by gesticulating and shouting offensive slogans.”
At 6.30pm, while the procession with the Apollonas players was heading towards Kennedy Street, the fans noticed there was a fight going on between around 50 Apollon supporters and the same number of AEL fans. “A stone war began between the fans,” Demetriou added.
“The 50 people who had moved forward and broken through police started hurling stones towards the AEL fans, who responded with stones, bottles and Molotov cocktails.”
Police reinforcements were summoned from the Limassol and Nicosia police forces, as well as the rapid reaction unit.
“With the arrival of the reinforcements, the situation was finally brought under control by 8pm, while tear gas used by police.”
The exact cost of the damage has not yet been estimated.
Statements by witnesses had indicated the key involvement of six men, all of which had a warrant out for their arrest.
Two of the men, a 33-year-old and a 27-year-old, both from Limassol, were arrested a little after midnight on Sunday.
All had started with celebrations on Saturday, following the victory over Anorthosis at the Tsirio Stadium. Fireworks lit up the sky and fans of the champions along with hundreds of other Limassol residents, took to the streets to celebrate Apollon’s win.
Sounding their horns and waving blue and white flags – the colour of their team – the fans caused mayhem and traffic jams.
But the night did not go by without trouble. During the early hours of Sunday morning, supporters clashed with AEL fans, resulting in the injury of a policeman on duty at the time.
The clashes took place a little after midnight, in the Enaerios area of Limassol, and lasted around an hour.
Around 250 fans of both teams were involved, throwing stones at each other and causing damage to surrounding shops.
Police are investigating the incidents.
Widespread condemnation
THE WEEKND violence was strongly condemned by the island’s political parties yesterday.
AKEL Spokesman Andros Kyprianou described the recent violent phenomena as “a crisis of values and morals”, and stressed that they needed to be dealt with collectively from the root of the problems.
He rejected any connection to the forthcoming parliamentary elections and waved off criticism over the involvement of politics in Cypriot football.
“We are expressing our concern, because the violent episodes are occurring more and more often and some incidents appear to have been organised in advance. Preventive measures need to be taken in parallel to suppression.”
DISY leader Nicos Anastasiades also described the episodes as “u
nacceptable”, and stressed the need for strict and immediate measures.
“Strict and immediate measures need to be taken, from all of us, so we can finally find a way to deal with this phenomenon, which is new to Cyprus.”
Police air beating video in plea for evidence
POLICE yesterday released a video showing the beating of a 56-year-old man from Larnaca, following the football match between Anorthosis and APOEL, which took place at the Antonis Papadopoulos stadium two Saturdays ago.
The force said it had made the tape public “with the plea that it be projected, in order to help the police in its task of finding and arresting all those who were involved in the beating, because until today the culprits have not yet been found and punished.”
Police had previously published photographs of eight suspects and asked the public and APOEL management to give any information they could about the men.
“From the publication of the photographs,” police said, “information was provided that led us to the arrest of five people, one of whom was involved in the beating of the 56-year-old. The rest were involved in various other incidents.”
The 56-year-old was beaten unconscious in front of his eight-year-old son, who is seen in tears, pulling his hair and begging the men to stop. His father had lost consciousness while the suspects continued to assault him.
