Football teams could be charged for stadium damage caused by fans

Following the violent scenes that marred the football match between Apollon and Apoel at the Tsirion stadium in Limassol on Sunday night, director of Olympia Sports Organisation (GSO) Giorgos Zachariades said the two teams might be asked to pay for the damages caused by their fans.

“I will have a meeting with representatives of both teams and we will assess the damage. They will be asked to compensate us for what their fans did to the premises,” Zachariades told state broadcaster CyBC on Tuesday.

GSO manages the Limassol stadium.

He added that the damages caused by Apoel and Apollon fans included broken toilets, ripped out seats and holes in the athletics track surrounding the pitch.

“Not only that, fans managed to bring flares and smoke bombs inside the stadium. They were obviously not checked before entering the ground,” he said, adding that police officers and stewards are obliged to pat down all those entering to make sure they do not carry weapons or illegal and dangerous objects.

Following Sunday’s incidents, three fans were arrested and one injured at the match when violence reached such a level that the police water canon was put into action.

Police chief Stelios Papatheodorou on Monday said he did not rule out the possibility of banning fans from football games following the incidents.

He said that the issue has been occupying the force since late September, when it was determined that many were not complying with the rules, leading to a meeting with security companies and the football association.

Another meeting was held between police and football stakeholders, who according to him “promised to try improving things within their teams and fan clubs to prevent any other incidents, injuries or damages to properties”.

He said the police force will not hesitate using everything at its disposal, including drones and helicopters.

Meanwhile, Justice Minister Stephie Dracou congratulated the police for “intervening immediately, preventing further incidents and allowing the game to finish without further issues”.