15 football hooligans charged and released

 

POLICE have arrested 15 football fans in connection with violence that broke out after a match between the youth teams of Nicosia rivals APOEL and Omonia on Sunday.

The clashes resulted in five policemen being injured and hospitalised.

The incidents came just two days after the two teams met in the championship on Friday, which again resulted in profound violence, when two Omonia fans were attacked in their car at GSP Stadium’s roundabout and almost set alight, when two APOEL fans on motorbikes threw a flare in the car window. This was after the car was completely smashed up with crowbars and bats.

A police spokesman yesterday said that after Sunday’s match had finished, fans of one team started throwing stones onto the pitch – at GSP stadium’s practice areas – and then attacked two fans from the opposing team as they started to leave the stadium.

As police attempted to intervene, the fans turned on them and started attacking the policemen with bats and stones.

He said five police officers were injured and treated at Nicosia General Hospital.

“One (policeman) had a fracture to his head and received stitches, the other has bruises and scratches, another has an injured arm, and another has an injured leg. The fifth officer is showing symptoms of sciatica,” said the police spokesman.

Police reacted by securing a search warrant for the two teams’ fan clubs, which they followed through on Sunday night.

They arrested 15 suspects from both teams, after finding seven bats, a spray and two helmets.

The suspects were yesterday charged in writing and released, to attend court at a later date.

Meanwhile, police yesterday said they were intensifying investigations to find the two motorcyclists responsible for the attack on the two Omonia fans on Friday.

They said they were collecting evidence and interviewing people, to find the people who tried to burn the two fans alive. 

The two teams will meet again Saturday for the championship play-offs. The game will be played behind closed doors because Omonia, the home side, was punished for fan trouble in a previous fixture.

 

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