England fans denounce Greek police violence at Nations League match

England fans say they were beaten, tear gassed and crushed against the fences before entering the Athens Olympic Stadium

Several England fans have reported being subjected to various forms of bullying and violence by Greek police ahead of Thursday’s 2024/25 Nations League match . England’s Football Association (FA) and the country’s supporters’ association have launched investigations into the allegations.

The England team had around 3,500 fans at the Athens Olympic Stadium. Many of them said there were only two portable toilets for all the fans.

They also complained about the treatment they received upon arrival at the stadium. Local police reportedly used tear gas, beat people and squeezed them against fences, according to different reports on social media.

We were treated like animals.”

— Quote from an English fan about the weather before Greece and England.

— It was a mental storm. They were trying to straighten the line at the entrance (to the stadium), to narrow it down. And they just used force. They pushed people against the big ones — fan Jack Loftus told PA Media.

The Free Lions organisation, which seeks to help England fans who travel the world to support their teams and national teams, is collecting reports from people who have suffered from poor treatment at the Athens Olympic Stadium.

— On a night when we achieved an excellent result on the pitch, it was clear that there was much more to be done off the pitch to ensure our fans did not find themselves in dangerous and unjustifiable situations — declared “Free Lions”.

The FA said it was also gathering information about what happened to England fans to assess what action to take. UEFA is another body waiting for more details.