A gruesome scene unfolded on the outskirts of Athens Monday as a Greek football fan died in a tragic brawl that erupted between rival club supporters.
The aftermath of the clash was marked by a staggering 96 arrests in the wake of violent confrontations.
The incident unfolded ahead of the UEFA Champions League qualifying third-round showdown between AEK Athens and Croatian contenders, Dinamo Zagreb.
As anticipation gripped the air, the Nea Filadelfeia stadium's vicinity became an arena of chaos and despair.
According to Greek authorities, a chilling tale of violence unfolded, leaving a 22-year-old Greek man fatally wounded.
He died after being rushed from the suburban battleground to an Athens hospital.
"A serious incident took place outside the Nea Filadelfeia stadium," shared Greek police. "A young Greek man was stabbed to death, and six other injured individuals are now in hospital."
Among the wounded is a minor, struck by a stone in the head.
As investigations intensify, those apprehended in the aftermath of the violence are poised to face the judgment of the state prosecutor, scheduled for Tuesday.
Last year, the Greek government responded with heightened measures, increasing the maximum sentence for fan violence crimes from a mere six months to a more fitting five-year term.
A haunting backdrop to this tragic saga, the memory of Alkis Kampanos, a 19-year-old who died due to the frenzy of fan rivalry, looms large.
The confrontation in February 2022 between supporters of Aris Thessaloniki and PAOK, rival clubs from the northern city of Thessaloniki, claimed his life, a grim echo of the darkness that lingers amid the allure of football fervor.
Justice was served for Kampanos last month, as seven defendants were found guilty of his murder, and sentences of life imprisonment were handed down.
Others faced consequences, with sentences exceeding 19 years for their complicity in the heartbreaking incident.
The chilling statistics unveil a grim pattern, as the incident marked the third death attributed to fan violence within a mere three-year span in Thessaloniki alone.