On their way to France to watch their team play Olympique Lyonnais in the UEFA Europa League, Seven supporters of the Greek football team PAOK perished in a sad minibus accident in Romania.
Around 1pm on Tuesday 27th January 2026, the minibus carrying ten PAOK supporters crashed head-on into a truck, killing them all. Three people are still getting medical care for their severe injuries.
The images from the accident scene display the terrible outcome, with the minibus and the red-cabbed heavy goods vehicle both badly damaged by the collision.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Prime Minister of Greece, expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and the entire PAOK community ” and said that he was deeply shaken by the event.”
To assist the injured fans and collaborate with the authorities, PAOK sent club representatives to Romania. PAOK President Ivan Savvidis termed the occurrence as an unimaginable tragedy.
He said “An unspeakable tragedy knocked on our door today. I am devastated by the unjust loss of young people, fans of our beloved team, who travelled to stand by our PAOK.
These children, the children of PAOK, are our children. They are members of a big family, and we never leave our families alone. ” In addition to expressing his condolences to the victims’ families, he also stated that his prayers were with those who had been wounded and hoped they would heal.
Hundreds of fans lit candles and placed flags and scarves in honour outside PAOK’s Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki. Flowers were also seen being laid by club management, players and coaches.
In a statement issued later, the club lamented the loss of it’s supporters, calling it another black day for the PAOK family, and promised unwavering support for the injured and the victims’ families. In the meantime, the club had briefly blacked out it’s social media pages.
The Greek City Times reported that PAOK asked for a postponement of the Thursday’s Europa League game, but UEFA refused to grant it. But the organization still declared their support to the club.
“Sincere condolences to everyone affected by this tragic accident, ” UEFA said in a statement on X, adding that it stands with the “PAOK family in times of grief.
In honour of the fans who died, Olympique Lyonnais announced that a pre-match tribute will be held at the Groupama Stadium.
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