10 Maccabi Tel Aviv fans sentenced in Greece for possession of firecrackers, flares

The 10 get nine-month jail terms, suspended for three years; five others detained are minors and will be tried separately in a juvenile court

Illustrative: Maccabi Tel Aviv fans during the UEFA Champions League playoff round second leg soccer match between Switzerland's FC Basel 1893 and Maccabi Tel Aviv at Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv on August 25, 2015. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Illustrative: Maccabi Tel Aviv fans during the UEFA Champions League playoff round second leg soccer match between Switzerland's FC Basel 1893 and Maccabi Tel Aviv at Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv on August 25, 2015. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

THESSALONIKI, Greece — A Greek court on Friday handed down suspended sentences and fines to 10 fans of Israeli soccer club Maccabi Tel Aviv after finding them guilty of illegal possession of flares as they headed to a Europa Conference League match against Aris.

The 10 were sentenced to nine-month terms, suspended for three years, and ordered to pay a 300 euro fine each. Another five who were arrested with them are minors aged 16 and 17, and were to be tried at a later date in juvenile court. All were released.

Police said the fans, between the ages of 16 and 35, had been detained ahead of Thursday’s qualifying match during a security check. The arrests were announced Friday morning.

Aris won the match 2-1 but Maccabi Tel Aviv advanced 3-2 on aggregate.

Most Popular
read more:
If you’d like to comment, join
The Times of Israel Community.
Join The Times of Israel Community
Commenting is available for paying members of The Times of Israel Community only. Please join our Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits.
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Confirm Mail
Thank you! Now check your email
You are now a member of The Times of Israel Community! We sent you an email with a login link to . Once you're set up, you can start enjoying Community benefits and commenting.