Suspended terms for rioting soccer fans
A Thessaloniki court gave four supporters of Aris soccer club 18-month suspended jail sentences late on Monday for their part in Sunday’s violent pitch invasion during the team’s match against local rivals Iraklis.. Two Iraklis players were hospitalized with head injuries after being punched and head-butted by opposition fans, who invaded the pitch after Aris reduced the score to 2-1 in the penultimate first division match of the season. Aris needed a win to have a chance of avoiding relegation. The game was suspended. The court found all four defendants guilty of attempted grievous bodily harm and breaking a sports law banning people from entering the playing area. The fans will have to report to their local police stations every time Aris plays a game over the next two years. A fifth fan is to stand trial today for allegedly hitting the Iraklis goalkeeper.
