The Three-Member Misdemeanor Court of Thessaloniki found not guilty the three young men who had been arrested for the assault of a 24-year-old footballer during an amateur football match.

The accused, all 22 years old, had been charged with participating in an attack against the 24-year-old footballer (a player for the home team) while he was in the stands during a match in the Neapoli area, causing him bodily harm.

The court acquitted the three young men due to reasonable doubt regarding charges of violating the law on amateur and professional sports and for causing dangerous bodily harm. Although the victim had initially identified them during the preliminary investigation, he later testified in court that they were not among those who had attacked him.

According to the victim, the incident began after the referee issued two red cards to players from both teams. Tension escalated in the stands, and at some point, he saw about 15 people attacking him.

“I was stunned, they hit me for a few seconds, and then they stopped. Some people were trying to calm things down, while others were more aggressive,” the victim stated, emphasizing that he was not seriously injured in the attack.

He also added that he was not able to confidently recognize any of the three young men who had been arrested in connection with the attack.

In their defense, the three 22-year-olds denied the charges, claiming they had no involvement in the scuffle in the stands or in the attack on the footballer. They also pointed out that they did not flee when the police were called to the stadium. Instead, they were arrested only after the match had ended, as they were leaving the venue.