Policeman injured, damage and hooliganism in Apollon - AEL - The announcement of the Police

The Police issued an announcement regarding yesterday's serious incidents that took place during the football match between Apollon and AEL in Tsireio.

This announcement:

"Around 7 yesterday afternoon, the football match between the teams APOLLO - AEL was going to be held at the Tsirio Stadium in Limassol.

For the needs of the match, the Crisis Management Center of the Limassol Police Department was operational, while the forces of the Limassol Police Department were reinforced by the MMAD with two riot squads, the Nicosia and Paphos Police Department with riot squads and the Technological Development Department with two drone handling crews .

During checks at the stadium, a 20-year-old person was found to be in possession of 3 torches and was arrested for a self-inflicted offence.

Between the hours of 6.26 and 6.47 in the afternoon, before the start of the match, AEL fans allegedly threw firecrackers inside the playing field and allegedly caused damage to the concrete layer of the stand and the chairs, while during the departure of the APOLLO players after the warm-up, they received concrete stones that were previously removed from the AEL stand.

After analyzing the events, the agents of the two teams were called to the Stadium Operations Center and after being shown the situation through the closed circuit of the stadium, the match police officer together with the security officer and the agents of the two teams informed the referee about the existing situation and decided that for safety reasons the match could not be played.

With the announcement of the non-performance of the match, the organized fans of the two teams started throwing fireworks and torches inside the playing area, while in the AEL stand a pile of chairs that had been removed earlier were set on fire. The fire was extinguished by the Fire Service.

Later and specifically between the hours of 8.10 – 8.50 p.m. outside the stadium, fans of both teams attacked members of the Police with stones, molotov cocktails and flares. To quell them, tear gas was used and the AIANTAS riot control vehicle was used.

The incidents injured a member of the Police who had received a flare. He was taken to the Limassol General Hospital where it was found that he has a burn on the right side of the chest. He was given first aid and discharged while on sick leave.

During their departure, the fans of the two teams allegedly damaged four cars parked in the surrounding area of ​​the stadium, throwing Molotov cocktails, flares and stones. Damage was also caused to three properties with the use of flares, while three plastic garbage baskets were also burned to the ground.

The TAE Limassol continues the exams."