Greek police detain 41 Serbs due to fears of soccer-related violence

Greek police detained 41 Serbs on Tuesday after stopping cars thought to be carrying supporters of Red Star Belgrade in the Vale of Tempe in central Greece.

The Serbs were allegedly heading to Athens for Olympiakos's Champions League tie against Dinamo Zagreb, which is a fierce rival of Red Star. The fans of the Serbian club have a very close relationship with the supporters of the Piraeus team.

Even though Dinamo fans have been prevented from traveling to the game due to security restrictions, the Greek police was concerned that Red Star supporters would travel to the Karaiskaki Stadium to attend the Champions League game.

Sources said the suspects were found to be carrying cement rods, planks of wood and rocks. There is concern that as many as 300 Dinamo supporters traveled to Athens despite the restrictions and that they may clash with Olympiakos or Red Star fans.