Three Serbian fans stabbed
Unidentified assailants stabbed three visiting soccer fans of Red Star Belgrade in Thessaloniki yesterday afternoon, just hours before a UEFA Cup match between local club Aris and the Serbian team. Police said the three men were stabbed in the legs and their injuries were not life-threatening. A fourth Red Star fan, a woman sitting with the three men, was not hurt in the attack. The previous night, two Red Star fans were hospitalized after being beaten, again by unidentified assailants. The trio of visitors were sitting at a seafront cafe owned by a Serb basketball player when a group of about 10 men wearing motorcycle helmets attacked them with knives. Police officers reportedly arrived several minutes later. UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, ranked the Aris-Red Star match as a high-risk encounter. Aris coach Dusan Bajevic had previously worked with Red Star Belgrade, which he abandoned during a game last season after relations with club supporters deteriorated.
