Greek football club orders hooligan manhunt after violence-marred match

AEK Athens supporters shout slogans in June 2004. AEK Athens published photos of alleged hooligans in an unprecedented step to combat the violence that habitually plagues Greece's most popular sport.

Top Greek football league club AEK Athens published photos of alleged hooligans in an unprecedented step to combat the violence that habitually plagues the country's most popular sport.

Posted on the club's official website (www.aekfc.gr) and printed in Greek sports dailies, the photos captured from television footage show hooded youths smashing cars, throwing seats and attacking riot police prior to a Sunday match in Livadia, central Greece.

Fourteen police officers were injured and three television crew vehicles were damaged in the clashes, a local police announcement said.

"Those who love Greek football should help us identify the perpetrators of these incidents," the club said in a statement.

The match was also interrupted for 25 minutes as players had trouble breathing after riot police fired tear gas at the hooligans outside the stadium, AEK said.

The Greek state has passed a series of laws designed to curb stadium violence, but has so far failed to eliminate incidents which continue to arise in football, basketball, volleyball and even water polo matches.