A Greek soccer player says the seeming Nazi salute he gave after scoring a goal was no Nazi salute.

Giorgos Katidis of EK Athens received a lifetime ban even though he insisted he wasn‘t thinking fascism when he stripped off his jersey raised his arm to the crowd while celebrating a goal against Veria during a Super League match Saturday.

“I despise fascism,” Katidis remarked on Twitter after reportedly being peppered with criticism from other players and various Greek politicians.

“I would not have done it if I knew what something like this meant,” Katidis wrote. “I know what the consequences are and I would never have done it.”

Katidis said he was actually pointing into the stands where an ailing teammate, to whom he dedicated the goal, was sitting.

EK Athens coach Ewald Lienen, who is from Germany, stuck up for the 20-year-old Katidis. “He hasn’t got a clue about politics,” he said.

The apparent cluelessness appeared to cost Katidis dearly. He was handed a lifetime ban from all Greek national teams by EPO, the Greek soccer federation.

“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,” EPO said in a written statement.

EK Athens said team executives would meet with Katidis this week to decide if any disciplinary action was warranted.

The ekathimerini.com website said Katidis’ timing did not help the situation. Saturday was the 70th anniversary of the mass-deportation of Jews from the Greek city of Thessaloniki by the Nazis during World War II.

A right-wing Greek party contributed its view to the controversy, calling the so-called salute an ancient Greek greeting. (UPI)



<관련 한글 기사>

스포츠에서 나치식 경례 논란의 중심

AEK 아테네의 기오르고스 카티디스가 16일(현지 시간) 그리스 아테네의 올림픽 경기장에서 열린 베리아와의 그리스 슈퍼리그 경기에서 팀의 2-1승리를 이끄는 역전 결승골을 성공시킨 뒤 팬들을 향해 나치 (Nazi)거수 경계 세레머니를 펼쳐 논란이 됐다.

그리스축구협회는 ‘그의 행동이 나치의 만행에 희생된 모든 이들에 대한 심각한 모욕’이라 규정하고 ‘평생 어떤 종류의 국가대표팀에도 선발되지 않을 것임을 분명히 했다.

협회는 긴급 소집된 집행위원회에서 그의 행동에 대해 논의했으며 처벌 결정을 만장일치로 통과되었다고 전했다.

소속팀 아테네도 카티디스에게 사과할 것을 요구했으며 구든측도 곧 그에 대한 처벌 수위를 결정할 것으로 알려졌다.

카티디스는 자신의 행동이 어떤 의미를 가지고 있는지 모른다고 주장했으나 국내외적인 비판에서 벗어나지 못하고 있다.

카티디스는 자신의 트위터에 “나는 파시즘을 증오한다. 만약 내가 그 의미를 알았다면 그런 행동을 하지 않았을 것이다”며 뒤늦은 후회의 심정을 남겼다. (코리아헤럴드)