Player of AEK Football Club Giorgos Katidis raised his hand in Nazi salute inside the football stadium after scoring a goal. The moment he raised his hand in a very obvious Nazi salute, members of AEK technical team fell over him, most probably to hide the insident.
Video:
Ο χαιρετισμός του Γιώργου Κατίδη! από kokoretsi
The salute triggered an outrage on social media in Facebook and Twitter, with Greek athletes and even AEK fans to condemn him and demanding his expulsion from the premier league Football Club.
Giorgos Katidis, 20, justified the raising of his hand saying, he raised his hand to dedicate the goal to a friend. In his Twitter account he wrote that he hated fascism.
On Sunday, ORIGINAL 21, the biggest club of organized AEK fans, issued a harsh statement demanding from AEK FC to fire KAtidis.
UPDATE: Greek Football Federation (EPO) decided Katidis’ lifetime exclusion from all Greek national teams “because his Nazi salute violently insults the public sentiment, all the victims of Nazi atrocities and violates the peaceful spirit of football.” EPO held an extraordinary meeting on Sunday morning.
Now it’s high time, that AEK takes a decision…
UPDATE2: On Sunday even and after the ongoing outcry, Giorgos Katidis set himself outside AEK. In a statement, he apologized and said among others:
”I must admit that I am totally unacceptable and I feel terrible for causing a challenge with my irrelevant and stupid action. … There is no reason to look for excuses. I’m wrong. ”
Right after the match and his Nazi salute, Katidis told cable Nova Sport TV, that he had arranged to do such a salute with his co-players. ” We wanted the fans to cheer, so we thought to make such gesture like we hear from this party [note: neonazi Golden Dawn].”
Nevertheless after the outrage, no co-player dared confirm that the Nazi salute was pre-arranged.
An AEK decision is still due as angry fans demanded Katidis expulsion and that his contract is cancelled.
PS Probably Katidis was thinking he was in an event of the Nazi youth…
