Ael clubhouse opening reconsidered following further hooliganism

A group of around 50-60 hooligans in Limassol attacked police with rocks, Molotov cocktails and flares in another hooliganism incident following Wednesday night’s Omonia-Ael football match.

Police had already made six arrests prior to the match.

According to the police, the perpetrators of the late-night incidents were fans of Ael, the defeated team, who had gathered around the team’s clubhouse in the residential area of Enaerios.

The incidents broke out around 11pm after hooligans started chasing off Omonia supporters who were passing through.

Around 45 riot police, already stationed as guards at the scene, intervened and the situation escalated, at which point police resorted to the use of tear gas.

The whole episode lasted about an hour and a half, with fans setting fire to a parked vehicle and rubbish bins and causing damages in the neighbourhood as they fled.

One police officer, who was injured on the foot by a thrown flare, received first aid at Limassol hospital and was released.

Limassol municipality had allowed the clubhouse to open on a trial basis, following a police order for it to be shut after previous incidents.

The opening will be re-evaluated following the latest incident, police said.

Police arrested two people, one a minor who threw a flare from a motorbike. Three other men were stopped and in a search of their vehicle police found 250 hunting gun bullets, Molotov cocktails and other items which were confiscated.

One man was arrested while written statements were taken from the other two who were then released.

The area remains cordoned off while police assess damages.

Meanwhile, a third man, aged 37, has been arrested for the incident of the backpack found hidden in a false ceiling of the Alphamega stadium before the Apoel-Apollon match on Sunday, which was also the scene of violent episodes.

The backpack, which was found and confiscated by police prior to the match, contained 53 smoke generators and nine flares and appears to have been hidden by two men, aged 38 and 53, who had security passes to enter the stadium before police arrived.