hooliganism
Riots broke out with Greek supporters both before and after the European match between Club Brugge and the Greek PAOK. Hundreds of fans tried to get into the stadium without a ticket, sometimes with success. And that led to stress among the law enforcement services, with several officers suffering injuries and destruction.
Junior Verbeeke in Celina Cazzetta
Today at 09:18
The 2,000 fans of PAOK Saloniki that were announced in Bruges on Thursday have caused a lot of difficulties. During the day everything started pleasantly. Beer on the Grote Markt, songs, ambiance. A little smoke bomb here and there, but that’s about it. A dozen supporters were administratively arrested with, among other things, fake tickets and brass knuckles. These are scenes that you often see in the run-up to a European match.
But in the early evening the problems really started. Hundreds of Greek supporters suddenly walked to the stadium – against the agreements. The police couldn’t stop them. “About five hundred fans did not have a ticket, and they partly belonged to that group,” said Lien Depoorter, spokesperson for the Bruges police. They actually had no business being with Jan Breydel, but they did flood the area around the stadium en masse.
Wrong information in Greek press
“The pressure became great. The ticket checks were not open at that time. The atmosphere became grim. To create space and push back the crowd, we were forced to use the water cannon. A number of fans then managed to get in,” said Depoorter. According to several visiting supporters, it was reported in the Greek press that tickets would become available on the evening of the match itself. But that almost never happens for visitors during a European home match of Club Brugge.
Hundreds of Greek fans also gathered in the visitors’ car park at the South Stand in the hope of getting in. The riot police, present at the ticket control with dozens of officers, had to intervene violently several times. When the away section – with a capacity of 1,500 fans – was full, the gates were closed. A number of fans with valid tickets were no longer allowed in. “The fault of their fellow supporters, because full is full,” said Depoorter. “After the kick-off, calm returned. We then requisitioned the shuttle buses to take all those people back to the city. People without tickets sat in cafés spread across the city to watch the match.”
Injury
But after the whistle had blown, the Greeks still wanted to have some fun. “There was a bit of a commotion when leaving the stadium,” Depoorter continues. “It was about supporters who turned against us. But we put a stop to that quite quickly.” A total of five to six police officers were injured, although the precise balance has yet to be drawn up. “When some of the supporters attacked our platoons, the spray truck was deployed again. Today we are also measuring any damage to the South Stand and the surrounding area.” It remained calm in the city center of Bruges during the rest of the night.
