In the early hours of Tuesday, the murder of a 19-year-old football fan in Thessaloniki, the second-largest city in Greece, has left the country appalled and shocked.
The Alkis Kambanos, along with his friends, was attacked by several people in two cars while walking on the streets of the eastern district of Charilaou.
They stabbed the Alkis on his upper thigh and bled to death.
Alkis’ friends were being treated for multiple injuries in the local Hospital of Charilaou.
The murder weapon, a sickle, was found by locals a meters away from the crime scene. According to reports, attackers asked the victims which football team they supported before assaulting them.
Charilaou in the Thessaloniki district is the home to the football club Aris. Police sources asserted that up to ten people were involved in the attack, supporters of the rival team.
Thessaloniki’s football clubs joined hands in condemning this brutal act of murder.
The football club Aris stated that “Another young man was killed by a group of murderers, who have been circulating and operating in Thessaloniki for a very long time.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his condolences over the teen’s murder.
Hooliganism continues to tarnish Greek football. Amid the fan’s passion for football, hooliganism is rife in Greece. The rival fans are often caught engaging in clashes.
The Greek football authorities have banned travelling supporters out of fear of riots. Several officials have been accused of inciting violence with violent behaviour. One of the most notorious incidents of violence was observed in 2018.
A big match between first-division teams PAOK Thessaloniki and AEK Athens descended into rioting after a controversial offside decision.
