The Georgian fans got in trouble during and after the match between “Neftchi” Baku and “Chikhura” Sachkhere (0:0) in Europa League III qualifying round.  

Neither local fans nor policemen liked the banner of the Georgians. The both of them considered it as the encroachment of their territorial integrity. The Azerbaijanis tried to grab the banner and the fans did not give it to them.

After the match the policemen took the Georgian fans to one of the halls of the stadium by special cars and tried to take the banner from them. The fans did not give them the banner and the policemen starting beating them and took three of them from the hall. Football players Giorgi Gabedava and Giorgi Datunaishvili were in the hall. Berika Shukakidze, director of “Chikhura”, was also in the hall. By the way, the policemen also beat Datunaishvili.

Cameramen of TV channels “Maestro”, “Imedi” and TV3”, journalists of “Imedi” and “TV3” witnessed this fact. The policemen also took them to the police station. Finally, they were released but the policemen deleted their videos. Three fans were released after the interference of the Consul of Georgia in Azerbaijan, president of “Chikhura” and officials of the Azerbaijani Football Federation.

The Azerbaijanis thought this banner was in support of Armenia and the Georgians organized provocation. The Azerbaijani police saw the bus of the fans and the media representatives to the Azerbaijan-Georgia border.

Lasha Tabagari, special correspondent of worldsport.ge from Baku