The bus transporting players and coaches from Apoel was attacked by people throwing rocks as it made its way back to Nicosia on Sunday night after the side’s 2-1 victory over Limassol’s Ael at the Alphamega Stadium.
Police spokeswoman Kyriaki Lambrianidou told television channel Alpha that “unknown individuals” had thrown rocks at the bus, breaking the glass in the bus’ middle door, and one of its wing mirrors.
The attackers had reportedly hidden themselves on the motorway, with the police’s investigation into the matter ongoing.
Sunday night’s game was played behind closed doors after Ael fans had thrown objects at players and coaches from Nea Salamina after the two sides played out a 0-0 draw at the Alphamega Stadium on January 24.
The incident is the latest in a long list of cases of hooliganism at Cypriot football matches, with the government now hoping new amendments to the laws will help them crack down.
Cabinet had earlier in the month approved a bill to give itself the power to ban away fans from football matches “in exceptional cases”, with Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis saying the bill will allow the executive branch to act “decisively”. To date, only the Cyprus Football Association (CFA) has had the right to ban away fans from football matches.
As well as empowering the government to ban away fans from football matches, the bill will also allow the police to breathalyse and drug test people at football matches, with football fans to be subject to the same alcohol limit as motorists.
Tests will be carried out at the gates of stadiums and inside the grounds, with those who test positive for drugs to be arrested. It is believed that those who blow over the alcohol limit will not be arrested.
In addition, the bill will provide for the upgrade of CCTV systems at Cyprus’ sports venues, with all stadiums and indoor arenas with a capacity of over 500 people set to be required to install modern camera surveillance systems which will be compatible with “specific software”.
The bill was put forward after football-related violence caused tensions to rise between the CFA and the police over the summer after the former unilaterally decided to allow away fans to attend games again during the coming season.
Away fans had been banned from all competitive football matches from January last year until the beginning of this season in the summer after a firecracker launched from a stand hit a player in the head during a Coca Cola Cup tie between Nea Salamina and Apoel.
The violence has continued into this season, with fights spreading into towns and cities away from the stadiums.
