Mayors of Athens and Zagreb issue joint statement on tragic incidents in Nea Philadelphia

Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis and Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević on Wednesday released a joint statement on the bloody events of August 7 in Athens, in which a 29-year-old Greek football fan was murdered in clashes between AEK Athens and DNK Dinamo Zagreb team supporters. In this, they stressed that there was no room for violence in sports and society.

"Blind violence and blood have no place in football fields, cities or our society," the message said, adding: "We unequivocably condemn the heinous crime that led to the loss of life of a young person and the sordid incidents with hooligans, who endangered the live of innocent citizens and small children. Violence has no nationality. Its only nationality is hatred."

The two mayors expressed hope that the culprits will be swiftly found and severely punished, so that no one need live through such tragic events again, while offering their condolences to the family of the victim.

"Athens and Zagreb maintain relations of friendship, which as mayors we pledge to enhance even more. Our cooperation will not be undermined by isolated incidents of violence," they concluded.

The mayor of Croatia's capital sent a letter to Bakoyannis on Tuesday, expressing his shock at the events and giving sincere condolences to all Athenians for the murder of the AEK fan on behalf of the citizens of Zagreb. He later also spoke with Bakoyannis on the telephone.