Tielemans63 Posted 17 March 2013 Posted 17 March 2013 European Football - Greek player banned for life over Nazi salute AEK Athens midfielder Giorgos Katidis has been handed a life ban from all national teams by Greece's FA after he appeared to give a Nazi salute to supporters during a match. Katidis, 20, a former captain of Greece's under-19 team, made the alleged salute in celebrating his winning goal in a 2-1 Super League victory over lowly Veria late on Saturday. "The player's action to salute to spectators in a Nazi manner is a severe provocation, insults all the victims of Nazi bestiality and injures the deeply pacifist and human character of the game," the Greek FA said in statement. Katidis was heavily criticised by political parties and fans on Twitter and Facebook following the incident at the Athens Olympic Stadium. Sunday marks the 70th anniversary of Greek Jew deportations in Nazi concentration camps in the Second World War. AEK have asked Katidis to explain himself and will then decide his future at a board meeting next week. Katidis denied he gave a Nazi salute. "I am not a fascist and would not have done it if I had known what it meant," Katidis said on his Twitter account. The player said he was simply pointing at Michalis Pavlis in the stands to dedicate the goal to his team mate as he continues to fight health problems. AEK's German coach Ewald Lienen backed Katidis. "He is a young kid who does not have any political ideas. He most likely saw such a salute on the Internet or somewhere else and did it without knowing what it means," he said. "I am 100 percent sure Giorgos did not know what he did. He was crying in the dressing room seeing the reaction." AEK are languishing in 10th place in the table with 29 points from 26 games. Veria are fourth from bottom. Katidis joined the club from Aris Salonika last year after impressing in Greece's run to the final of the European Under-19 Championship where they lost to Spain. What a knob - a life ban though? Having said that, I don't buy his coach's claims that "He is a young kid who does not have any political ideas. He most likely saw such a salute on the Internet or somewhere else and did it without knowing what it means," - absolute bullshit!
acooling08 Posted 17 March 2013 Posted 17 March 2013 Should be a lengthy ban if he did it knowingly - he could just be a moron though and didn't realise what the salute meant.
Finnegan Posted 17 March 2013 Posted 17 March 2013 I love the still image for that YouTube video. Standing right next to a black team mate who's just looking at him vaguely bemused / disapproving. Doubly daft though as aren't AEK the "leftist" club as far as Greek Ultras go? All pally with OM and Livorno et all?
johnny the fox Posted 17 March 2013 Posted 17 March 2013 European Football - Greek player banned for life over Nazi salute AEK Athens midfielder Giorgos Katidis has been handed a life ban from all national teams by Greece's FA after he appeared to give a Nazi salute to supporters during a match. Katidis, 20, a former captain of Greece's under-19 team, made the alleged salute in celebrating his winning goal in a 2-1 Super League victory over lowly Veria late on Saturday. "The player's action to salute to spectators in a Nazi manner is a severe provocation, insults all the victims of Nazi bestiality and injures the deeply pacifist and human character of the game," the Greek FA said in statement. Katidis was heavily criticised by political parties and fans on Twitter and Facebook following the incident at the Athens Olympic Stadium. Sunday marks the 70th anniversary of Greek Jew deportations in Nazi concentration camps in the Second World War. AEK have asked Katidis to explain himself and will then decide his future at a board meeting next week. Katidis denied he gave a Nazi salute. "I am not a fascist and would not have done it if I had known what it meant," Katidis said on his Twitter account. The player said he was simply pointing at Michalis Pavlis in the stands to dedicate the goal to his team mate as he continues to fight health problems. AEK's German coach Ewald Lienen backed Katidis. "He is a young kid who does not have any political ideas. He most likely saw such a salute on the Internet or somewhere else and did it without knowing what it means," he said. "I am 100 percent sure Giorgos did not know what he did. He was crying in the dressing room seeing the reaction." AEK are languishing in 10th place in the table with 29 points from 26 games. Veria are fourth from bottom. Katidis joined the club from Aris Salonika last year after impressing in Greece's run to the final of the European Under-19 Championship where they lost to Spain. What a knob - a life ban though? Having said that, I don't buy his coach's claims that "He is a young kid who does not have any political ideas. He most likely saw such a salute on the Internet or somewhere else and did it without knowing what it means," - absolute bullshit! I think the goose stepping afterwards clinched it..
Kitchandro Posted 17 March 2013 Posted 17 March 2013 Should be a lengthy ban if he did it knowingly - he could just be a moron though and didn't realise what the salute meant. Come on, has he been living under a rock all of his life?
Guest BlueBrett Posted 17 March 2013 Posted 17 March 2013 Seems a bit harsh. I mean Shearer got away with it for years.
Finnegan Posted 17 March 2013 Posted 17 March 2013 Seems a bit harsh. I mean Shearer got away with it for years.
purpleronnie Posted 17 March 2013 Posted 17 March 2013 If anything he should get banned for his ridiculous tattoos.
21st Century Fox Posted 17 March 2013 Posted 17 March 2013 If anything he should get banned for his ridiculous tattoos. What's wrong with having "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" permanently etched across your abdomen?
Super_horns Posted 17 March 2013 Posted 17 March 2013 I think a lifetime ban is very harsh. I wonder if he had been a top player for the national side would they ban him for life?
Tielemans63 Posted 17 March 2013 Author Posted 17 March 2013 I wonder if he had been a top player for the national side would they ban him for life? Did Di Canio get banned when he did a similar thing? Prob not in Italy!
RedHux Posted 19 March 2013 Posted 19 March 2013 He did exactly the same, then 'fessed up to being a fascist and because having that mindset is more unfathomable then illegal he's every right to carry on. I would have to say, anyone approaching adulthood will be familiar with nazi signs, symbols and what the mean/imply. This boy knew exactly what he was doing....I've never pointed with all five fingers before! Maybe it's a greek thing
Captain... Posted 19 March 2013 Posted 19 March 2013 I love the still image for that YouTube video. Standing right next to a black team mate who's just looking at him vaguely bemused / disapproving. Doubly daft though as aren't AEK the "leftist" club as far as Greek Ultras go? All pally with OM and Livorno et all? Surely that image is photoshopped, as that black player is nowhere in shot on the video when he does the salute. Isn't it about time we reclaimed that salute like Richard Herring did with the "Charlie Chaplin" moustache? To be honest I find it perfectly plausible that he didn't know what that meant, the youth of today are morons.
MooseBreath Posted 19 March 2013 Posted 19 March 2013 Looks like a standard raised arm celebration to me. If he'd have done the old finger moustache trick then it would have made it obvious, but as it is I can't see how anyone can say for sure that he is doing a Nazi salute there
Carl the Llama Posted 19 March 2013 Posted 19 March 2013 I'd put good money on it being a Golden Dawn thing, which means he knew exactly what he was doing. Doesn't necessarily mean he truly understood it though, as is the case with many far right bandwagonistas.
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