Neuendorf joins Greek chief in wreath tribute before Nations League

Greek Football Association chief Chrysostomos Gkagkatsis and German Football Association president Bernd Neuendorf placed a wreath before the Nations League match between Greece and Germany at the Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki, honouring seven PAOK fans who lost their lives in a traffic accident.

Wreath laid before the match

The ceremony took place in the arena just moments before kickoff. Gkagkatsis and Neuendorf laid the wreath together, signalling solidarity between the two football federations. In this way, the two federations showed unity.

A memorial stone in the stadium’s curve already marks the seven victims, reminding supporters of the tragedy each time they enter the venue.

The tribute also recalled a separate disaster on 4 October 1999, when six PAOK fans died in a car crash, a loss commemorated for the 27th time this season.

Earlier in January, seven PAOK supporters were killed in a severe traffic accident in Romania while travelling to a Europa League tie against Olympique Lyon. Video footage showed the fans’ minibus colliding head‑on with a truck near the western Romanian city of Timișoara.

"An unfathomable tragedy has knocked on our door today. I am deeply shaken by the unjust loss of young people, fans of our beloved team, who travelled to stand with our PAOK," said PAOK owner Iwan Savvidis on the club’s website.

Condolences poured in from beyond Thessaloniki, with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and several foreign clubs expressing their sympathy.