The situation in Limassol escalated after the abrupt cancellation of the Apollon vs. AEL match at the “Alphamega” stadium yesterday night, with clashes between police officers and fans.
At least three police officers were injured shortly before 9:00 pm, according to police sources. One officer was transported to Limassol General Hospital around 8:30 pm by ambulance.
The officer was reportedly hit with a naval flare.
The incident was preceded by stone-throwing and the intervention of the Police’s special vehicle, “Aiantas.”
It is worth noting that the Police had requested AEL fans to leave the stadium and undergo re-inspection before re-entering. When this process was completed, the match’s final cancellation was announced.
Regarding the march of Omonoia 29th May’s organised fans which took place at the same time as the football match, the Limassol Police Director, Andreas Angelidis, in a statement to the Cyprus News Agency said that no problems had been observed.
The Chief of Police, Stelios Papatheodorou, in statements to the CytaVision camera, said, “As the Police, we monitored the situation before the match, including the use of Molotov cocktails and flares. A considerable time before the match’s scheduled start, AEL fans entered the stands, spraying Police officers and supervisors.”
“We asked for the fans’ departure, for them to undergo inspection and re-enter the stadium. This took until 8:00 pm. Initially, some of them left, but others did not. Many did not pass the inspection again. As the Police, when the Security Officer could not guarantee the match’s start, we made this decision,” he added.
He then emphasised, “It’s time for other competent authorities to also assume their responsibilities.”
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