Newsroom
Despite declarations from authorities and the government to crack down on hooliganism and sports-related violence, the new football season in Cyprus has already been marred by widespread unrest.
According a report in Kathimerini Cyprus' edition by Yiannis Ioannou, the city derby in Limassol between Apollon and AEL at Alphamega Stadium was canceled following extensive clashes. Three police officers were injured, one seriously, by a marine flare. The aftermath has left both clubs and the Cyprus Police trading blame over the incident and what happens next.
As seen in several similar incidents over the past two years, the analysis of what went wrong revolves around several issues: the operational and tactical failures of the Cyprus Police to prevent or respond to incidents, the challenges posed by organized fan groups, and the ongoing lack of political will to genuinely address these problems. These factors continue to impact the handling of high-risk matches like local derbies, often leading to disruptions.
On Sunday, Limassol was hosting two high-risk events—a local derby and a march by organized fans of "Gate 9." Despite the deployment of 300 police officers and the use of anti-riot equipment, such as the "Ajax" water cannon, the police failed to prevent illegal entry onto the pitch by some fans, likely attempting to avoid identification and ticket purchases. Open-source reports suggest that security measures were inadequate, with only a fence at the stadium entrances, which was easily bypassed. The Cyprus Police’s request for fans to exit the stadium for re-screening escalated the situation into violent clashes outside, showing an inability to manage the crowd effectively.
The Justice Minister's statement that the violence was "premeditated" does little to address the deeper issues. Meanwhile, in the realm of sports justice, both clubs continue to argue over who should be held responsible for the canceled match.
Hours after the unrest, videos emerged showing the Cyprus Police’s failed attempts to disperse the crowd using anti-riot tactics. The police hesitated to take decisive action against the 20-30 individuals who illegally entered the stadium. The widespread use of flares and smoke bombs, including a marine flare that injured a police officer, pointed to failures in screening attendees. There were also reports of Molotov cocktails near the stadium. Open-source footage shows the police resorting to tear gas and pepper spray, but these measures proved insufficient.
In journalistic and social media circles, there is growing speculation that these incidents might serve as a pretext for the government's previously discussed ban on fan travel within Cyprus.
These recurring violent episodes in Cypriot football reveal a pattern of systemic failure, involving police shortcomings, insufficient security measures, and a lack of political resolve to address the root causes.
