Cyprus authorities fault soccer federation for top-tier game descending into chaos

Cypriot authorities on Monday accused the country’s soccer federation of ignoring red flags after a high-risk first division soccer fixture descended into chaos on Sunday night.

The game between perennial cross-town rivals Apollon and AEL Limassol was called off after authorities said it was impossible to police the fixture. At least four people were injured in clashes in and out of the AlphaMega stadium in Limassol.

The incident occurred barely a month after the launch of the new season, and after authorities grudgingly eased a ban on away fans at games after last year’s season was blighted by violence.

On Sunday, dozens of AEL supporters burst into the venue, defying security checks and using repellent sprays against law enforcement officials, police said. When the game was called off, flares and torches were lobbed from the Apollon stands.

Clashes between spectators and police continued outside the soccer grounds.

In a strongly-worded statement, Cyprus’ Justice Ministry accused the soccer governing body, the Cyprus FA, of ignoring the need to take additional security measures.

It was “high time” the Cyprus FA started enforcing the law, the Justice Ministry said. Condemning the violence, the soccer body said it would be meeting on Friday and would wait for an incident report before taking further action.

Straining already stretched police resources, the game was held on the same day as a protest march by fans of a third team, that of newly-promoted Omonia 29M, who, despite not hailing from Limassol, wanted to draw attention to their own opposition to ID cards mandatory for fans to watch a first-division match.

“While the leadership of the Cyprus FA had at its disposal means like changing the time of the game, banning away visitors, staging a closed-door match or even postponing the game, it limited itself to lukewarm recommendations to the clubs,” the Justice Ministry said.

At the start of this season authorities relaxed the ban on away spectators, setting a cap of 800 fans for high risk fixtures, or 10% of overall capacity.

At Sunday’s game, AEL were considered the away side, but more than 800 spectators turned up for the game, according to police. [Reuters]