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Borussia Dortmund have strongly condemned the crowd violence that caused a stoppage in their Europa League match against PAOK in Greece and resulted in the arrest of eight visiting fans. The trouble started shortly before the second half began when some Dortmund supporters lit flares and fireworks, with English referee Anthony Taylor forced to briefly hold up play in the 48th minute. Fans in the visiting section clashed with Greek riot police who stood between them and home supporters, while there were more unsavoury scenes at the end of the match, which finished 1-1. Dortmund said PAOK supporters had played their part in the chaos but the German club accepted that the problems began in the away end. "It was our lot who started it," Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke told the club's official website. "Such behaviour cannot be tolerated. We made our position clear to the groups concerned before the match. Now we need to review what happened. "As a general principle, I think it's important to hear from all those involved. But today's events were very clear. "We will be given another hefty fine for this. If you disrupt a match, then you've crossed the line. It's no longer acceptable." In the build up to the game, Dortmund had warned their supporters to take special care in Thessaloniki. Over the years some Dortmund fans had cultivated a relationship with followers of PAOK's rivals Aris Thessaloniki, who also play in black and yellow. The German club feared that the enmity between PAOK and Aris might have consequences for visiting fans and advised those travelling to wear neutral colours in the city. Dortmund were also concerned that a decision to train in Aris' stadium could antagonise some PAOK supporters, while memories of attacks on Dortmund fans during a Champions League trip to St Petersburg in February 2014 were also fresh in the memory. The club said that after the final whistle the team discussed whether they should go over to the travelling fans. Special acknowledgement of supporters after full-time is a tradition in Germany and Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel said they had decided to make their way to the away end because they knew that "it was only a small minority causing the chaos." "The other 1,300 fans deserved the team to go over and thank them for their support," Tuchel said. "However, I can completely understand the question of whether they might have decided to take a stance." Last year, play was twice held up during Dortmund's 4-1 home win over Turkish side Galatasaray in the Champions League as visiting supporters threw flares on to the pitch. Galatasaray were fined €70,000 by UEFA, while Dortmund were ordered to pay €32,000 for their fans' part in the disorder.
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