Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic is seeking to mend relations with Athens during a visit to Greece for an informal meeting with regional leaders after mass football riots raised tensions between the two countries. 

One Greek football fan was killed in violent clashes between supporters of AEK Athens and Dinamo Zagreb on August 7 ahead of a Champions League qualifying match in Athens. More than 100 fans, most of them Croatians, have been charged in connection to the violence. 

The case has become politicised as Croatian politicians face pressure from relatives of those detained in Greece to support them. 

Plenkovic is due to attend an informal meeting in Greece to discuss the European integration of Southeast European countries and security amid the war in nearby Ukraine on August 21. He is expected to meet with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis during the visit to resolve issues relating to the violence. 

Separate meetings between Croatian Justice Minister Ivan Malenica and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman with their Greek counterparts are also planned.

Riots in Athens 

An Athens court mandated pre-trial detention for all 105 arrested individuals linked to the violent clashes outside AEK stadium on August 7. The clashes resulted in the death of AEK supporter Michalis Katsouris. 

Of the detained individuals, 102 are Croatian nationals, two are Greeks and one is an individual of Albanian descent born in Greece.

The charges include allegations of setting up a criminal organisation and involvement in premeditated murder.

The violence unfolded on the night of August 7, before the scheduled UEFA Champions League third-qualifying-round match between AEK Athens and Dinamo Zagreb. 

A confrontation between football fans escalated, ultimately leading to Katsouris' death. Video footage from the riots showed youths carrying weapons running past the stadium in Athens. 

Greek Public Order Minister Giannis Oikonomou acknowledged police errors and suspended seven officers. 

Violence condemned

Croatian officials have condemned the violence. However, they also face pressure from the families of those detained to ensure they are not treated harshly while in detention, and receive fair trials. 

Around 20 parents of those arrested protested outside the foreign ministry in Zagreb on August 14 to ask for their children to be protected. 

Croatian President Zoran Milanovic fanned the flames on August 15, when he claimed that the Croatians arrested in Athens were being detained “as if there was a war going on” and “treated like criminals”. 

Plenkovic said on August 15 that the Croatian authorities and diplomats are making the “greatest possible efforts” to help the detained Croatian fans. 

At the same time, he accused Milanovic of “sending messages that are not well received” in Athens. 

"It would be good if, as the parents of our citizens wrote to me to help them, and I … am helping, he [Milanovic] might be asked not to help them anymore. The more he helps them like this, the longer their sons will probably be in Greek custody," said Plenkovic.

Justice Minister Ivan Malenica complained on August 16 that Milanovic's statements were hindering efforts to support the fans. 

Greece rejected Milanovic’s claim that the country does not abide by the rule of law. 

In response to a journalist’s question about Milanovic’s statement, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Stratos Efthymiou said: “The independent Greek judiciary will judge the case impartially and objectively, respecting the fundamental rights of all those remanded into custody … Under the current circumstances, any statements that distort reality are not helpful.”

Further conflict emerged when a Greek web portal published the personal data of some Dinamo supporters. Hina reports that the Croatian Personal Data Protection Agency (AZOP) has sent a request to the Greek regulator to take action. 

Calming tensions 

As well as the upcoming meeting between Plenkovic and Mitsotakis, Croatian Football Federation (HNS) president Marijan Kustić and Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) president Panagiotis Baltakos said on August 18 that they want to work together to defuse tensions, the HNS announced on Facebook. 

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin also met with Mitsotakis on August 16. At a press conference afterwards, Ceferin called for the "cancer of hooliganism” to be removed from football. 

UEFA announced on August 19 that fans of GNK Dinamo will not be allowed to attend any away matches for the remainder of the 2023/24 season of UEFA club competitions. 

“Following the extremely serious incidents which occurred ahead of the postponed UEFA Champions League third qualifying round match between AEK Athens and GNK Dinamo Zagreb … all matches involving visiting GNK Dinamo supporters are considered to be high risk and this was unfortunately confirmed by the extreme gravity of incidents due to the presence in Athens of GNK Dinamo supporters,” UEFA’s statement said.