Police have detained four Israeli fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv football club after they tried to enter Larnaca’s AEK Arena stadium on Wednesday evening with 15 fireworks in their possession, informs in-cyprus.
The arrest was made just before the Europa Conference League Qualifying match AEK Larnaca vs Maccabi Tel Aviv had started.
Three of the detained Israelis are aged 19 and one is 21 and will appear before court later on Thursday pending a remand order request.
All pleaded guilty and a fine of €500 was imposed on the two 19-year-olds and the 21-year-old, while the third 19-year-old was fined €700
At the same time, police went on high alert after Cypriot football fans allegedly made threatening gestures against Israeli fans in the city’s Finikoudes area on Tuesday evening.
Videos on social media showed fans – Cypriot and Israeli – running after each other through the city’s central streets.
The brief but alarming incident took place hours only after an AEK Athens fan was stabbed to death by Dinamo Zagreb hooligans.