A 19-year-old football fan was murdered in cold-blood on Tuesday in Greece's second-largest city Thessaloniki, which has left the country shocked.
The victim identified as Alkis Kambanos, who with his two friends, was intercepted by the perpetrators at 1 AM. Coming up to the trio in two cars while they were walking on the street in the eastern district of Harilaou, the perpetrators confronted the group of friends.
Quite out of the blue, they stabbed Alkis in the streets of Harilaou where the 19-year-old bled to death, while the other two victims -- Alkis' friends, are being treated for multiple injuries at a local hospital.
The murder weapon, a sickle, was discovered by locals a few meters away from the crime scene, next to a garbage bin.
According to reports, one of the attackers asked the victim which football team he supported, before assaulting them. Harilaou in the Thessaloniki district is the home to the football club Aris.
Police sources believe that up to ten people were involved in the attack, who were supporters of the rival team.
In a rare display of unity, Thessaloniki's football clubs joined hands in condemning this brutal act of murder.
The football club Aris said in a statement "Another young man was killed by a group of murderers, who have been circulating and operating undisturbed in Thessaloniki for years. He made the 'mistake' of supporting Aris and being with his friends in their neighborhood."
Aris' arch-rival team PAOK issued a statement saying that "Our society, our city, and our country cannot tolerate the deaths of young people under the pretext of fan preferences. We mourn every loss."
The logo of the Iraklis football club appeared in yellow and black — the colors of Aris — in solidarity with their Thessaloniki rivals.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his condolences over the teen's murder.
Hooliganism continues to tarnish Greek football
Amid the fan fervour over football, hooliganism is rife in Greece. The rival fans are often caught engaging in clashes. The Greek football authorities have banned traveling supporters out of fear of riots. Several officials have been accused of inciting violence with violent behavior.
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.
