Policeman and fan injured during football violence (Update)

A policeman and a fan were injured during violent incidents on Sunday night at the AEK – Nea Salamina football match at the AEK stadium in Larnaca.

According to comments by representatives of the clubs, on Monday, fans of the two teams threw stones at each other, hurled insults, and engaged in antisemitic behaviour during and after the match, injuring a fan and one policeman.

Salamina alleged that AEK fans made Nazi salutes, and shouted at to the club’s fans to “go back to the refugee estates.” Salamina is a Famagusta club.

Salamina spokesman George Kazamias said: “We have people in the hospital, we also have photographic evidence, but we did not release it, due to privacy issues. Let everyone see the CCTV footage, I don’t need it. I also heard ‘go back to the refugee estates’ towards the refugees, I also saw the Nazi salutes, and I have to say that we are all Greek Cypriots in the end.”

Police spokesman Christos Andreou said officers had to use tear gas, to break up the fighting during and after the match.

He added that an injured fan was escorted to Larnaca general hospital A&E, from where he apparently left without being examined.

During the incidents police arrested a 51-year-old man, “for the offence of verbally abusing officers,” police said.

The 51-year-old was charged in writing and released to appear in court at a later stage.

Furthermore, according to the police, during post-match incidents, a fan injured a policeman by throwing a bottle at him.

The policeman was transferred to Larnaca general hospital, where he was kept for treatment after he was found to have sustained facial injuries, including fracture of the right cheekbone, nasal bone and nostril, as well as a cut to the upper lip.

After the match, AEK spokesman Kyriacos Demetriou said that all the incidents had been recorded by the police, and he said everything is at the disposal of the police.

He said the club “unreservedly condemns” the incidents.

Larnaca police are continuing investigations.