NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — The Cyprus president called out the national soccer federation on Monday for shirking its responsibilities in helping to stamp out hooliganism and violence.
President Nikos Christodoulides said everyone must live up to their obligations in the fight against soccer violence but singled out the federation and its president George Koumas for “hiding behind” their own autonomy.
“They have responsibilities, we warned them about all of this but they continue to hide,” Christodoulides said.
His remarks came after authorities called off a first-division match between crosstown rivals Apollon Limassol and AEL Limassol on Sunday when hundreds of AEL fans clashed with police and rushed the stadium gates without undergoing either a mandated search for concealed contraband or a check of their tickets, according to police.
Fans exiting the stadium again clashed with police, throwing rocks and other projectiles which resulted in three officers sustaining injuries.
Police arrested four people, including two 17-year-olds, as they tried to flee in a car inside of which investigators found a metal bar and balaklavas. Police spokesman Christos Andreou said officers also found a bag near the stadium containing Molotov cocktails and a powerful flare.
The controversy revolves around a government push to extend a full ban on all away team fans that was imposed last year to curb violence. The Cyprus Football Association, instead, ruled that for this season a maximum 800 away team fans would be allowed. On Sunday, Andreou said more than 1,000 AEL fans showed up for the game.
Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis told the state broadcaster earlier Monday that the FA was warned of impending trouble and to steer AEL fans — as away team supporters — clear of the stadium.
But Hartsiotis said the FA’s Koumas assured that all would go smoothly after consulting with the rival teams’ presidents.
Police and the justice ministry say new draft legislation that would empower law enforcement to decide on banning all away team fans from matches deemed as high risk would go a long way in combating the problem.
In a statement, the Cyprus FA condemned the violence and said appropriate punishments would be meted out. But it defended its decision to allow AEL fans in the stands because the trouble was strictly fans clashing with police and not the direct consequence of away fans fighting with home-team supporters inside the stadium.
“We don’t believe it’s right that every instance where undesired actions happen should be used as a reason to ban away fans,” the FA wrote.
The state broadcaster said the FA has called an emergency meeting of all team presidents for this Friday to discuss the issue.
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