January 25 – A cup match in Cyprus between perennial Limassol rivals Apollon and AEL was called off Wednesday after some fans ran on to the field and hurled flares at each other before kickoff.
Stewards at Limassol’s brand-new Alpha Mega stadium struggled to control fans ahead of the match, resulting in riot police rushing in to try to restore order.
The referee called off the game because police couldn’t guarantee safety, a Cyprus Football Association statement said.
Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides condemned the “unacceptable” behaviour and said “this cannot be allowed to continue.”
The incident occurred just days after renewed pledges by police and the Cyprus FA to step up measures to stop violence at matches.
Last Friday, the Cyprus FA banned all away fans for the rest of the season.
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