Greece to toughen laws on operation of fan clubs and strengthen police checks after fan killing

According to government spokesperson Yiannis Economou, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis chaired a cabinet meeting on Monday that resolved to toughen laws on the operation of fan clubs and strengthen police checks.
“We owe it to society, especially the young generation, to address fan and youth violence,” Economou added.
The raid follows the deadly stabbing of a 19-year-old in the northern city of Thessaloniki by accused hooligans last week, which seriously injured two of his friends.
Police have arrested nine persons in connection with the incident, while a tenth suspect is suspected to have fled to Albania.
Eight of the suspects, arrested in Sunday raids and facing charges of murder and attempted murder, appeared before a Thessaloniki magistrate on Monday.
They were given a few days to prepare their defence before formally testifying.
The remaining suspect was to be arraigned later Monday.
The attackers have been linked in reports to Thessaloniki club PAOK. The victim was a supporter of cross-town rivals Aris.
Successive Greek governments have sought to curb sports violence, but incidents have surged again in recent months.

RECENT SURGE

On Sunday, two people were hurt in a brawl that broke out in an amateur game in Halkidiki, northern Greece.
Many of the clubs are run by families who wield considerable economic and political influence in the country.
One such prominent sports owner is PAOK president Ivan Savvidis, who is on trial for storming the pitch with a gun at his belt during a 2018 match.
On Monday, his hearing was postponed for an eighth time.

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