PITCH BATTLE
European clash descends into chaos with police forced to intervene in huge brawl and manager facing hefty ban
AEK Athens manager Matias Almeyda appeared to grab a person by the neck
AEK ATHENS manager Matias Almeyda had a heated brawl after a dramatic derby against PAOK desceded into chaos.
AEK lost 3-2 to Razvan Lucescu's men in Salonika in an entertaining encounter that has set the Superleague title race on fire with both rivals as well as Olympiacos and Panathinaikos gunning for the top.
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Once the referee's final whistle blew, Almeyda, 50, was suddenly infuriated and got into a heated altercation with a small crowd around the dugout.
The ex-Inter Milan ace first pushed his own player Sergio Araujo as well as a sub away before confronting a number of different people.
PAOK star Taison and a number of AEK coaches tried to hold the former Argentina international back while police also got involved.
Almeyda then appeared to grab another person by the neck before he was pulled away.
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According to , the man in question was an official working for the Sub-Directorate of Sports Violence Prevention (DEAV).
Thankfully cooler heads prevailed and the Argentinean tactician was led away with the help of some of his players, including AEK captain Petros Mantalos, Mijat Gacinovic, Ehsan Hajsafi and Cican Stankovic.
The ex-Lazio star addressed the incident during his post-match press conference and revealed he apologised to the man he appeared to hold by the neck.
Almeyda said: "Did you see how many people were in the stadium? What I always say is that if we want to change the situation in Greek football, there cannot be so many people. There is no one at AEK matches. So who protects us on the field?
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"I really don't care if it was PAOK people or others, I just think that people should be more respectful. I respect the world and I want the same. When I see an injustice being done, I react. I am a man, blood flows in my veins. I'm not going to change the way I am as a person.
"I respect everyone whether I'm playing inside or outside and I want to be treated as a human being. I hope we don't all have to be upset about something that has happened on the field. There can't be 200 people on the field, we're talking about football not American football.
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"You can lose, you can win, but these things cannot exist in football. You who are in football, do you consider all this normal?
"How many were inside the playing field? Win or lose, we're here to talk and help. Today the referee was German, at one point he told me he couldn't believe how many people were in the stadium.
"I don't think this is a matter for the police. We didn't lose for this game. I'm just answering the question. This is not good.
"The truth is, this picture doesn't help, at all. This holds football back. My own reaction was one that I don't advise anyone to do. I had the opportunity before to apologise to the gentleman that this happened to.
"Before I had received some pushes. If you push me, I'll do the same. Because I don't push, I talk. I accept defeats and criticism, but don't let anyone challenge me. It's very simple. If what I did is bad, yes it is.
"There were people who shouldn't have been there. I take responsibility for my bad reaction. Then look at the picture, so that there is no problem. If we zoom in a little, more can be seen."
Almeyda is now facing a touchline ban of up to three matches, which would see him missing AEK's last two crunch clashes against rivals Olympiacos away and Lamia at home.
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