Judicial authorities in Thessaloniki in northern Greece have launched an investigation into allegations made by Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Nikos Tachiaos that a senior executive of a local soccer club threatened to disrupt the city’s metro inauguration. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is scheduled to inaugurate the much-delayed project on Saturday.
“I received a phone call from a senior executive of a Thessaloniki soccer club who told me, ‘Thousands of people are ready to disrupt what you are preparing. They will destroy everything when Mitsotakis arrives.’ He also asked me to relay this to the prime minister,” Tachiaos said after meeting with Thessaloniki’s chief prosecutor of appeals on Thursday.
He added that similar threats were made in a subsequent text message.
“The Mitsotakis government is neither threatened nor blackmailed. It does not negotiate with or condone hooliganism or orchestrated violence,” Tachiaos said.
Although Tachiaos did not name the club directly, Aris FC confirmed on Thursday that one of their executives had contacted the minister. However, the club denied issuing any threats, claiming instead that the executive merely informed Tachiaos of potential protests by Aris fans in response to the team’s sanction of a two-match stadium ban, which includes an upcoming derby against AEK Athens.
Aris was penalized following fan violence during the team’s home defeat to Volos on Saturday, November 23.
Later on Thursday, the Athens Administrative Court of Appeals suspended the penalty against Aris, prompting fans to cancel their protest plans.
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