Serbia expressed "outrage" Saturday after a Red Star Belgrade basketball fan was stabbed to death in Istanbul.
Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic voiced "outrage over the monstruous murder," a government statement said. Serbia demands that the perpetrator be urgently "found, arrested and most severely punished," it added.
Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called Vucic to voice condolences over the death during a fight between Turkish and Serbian fans on Friday evening.
Davutoglu voiced regret over the killing of Marko Ivkovic and pledged that Turkish authorities would do everything to find the perpetrator.
Vucic also said that Galatasaray coach Ergin Ataman was not welcome in Serbia after "accusing the killed young man and all other Red Star fans of terrorism," the government statement said.
The 25-year-old Ivkovic was stabbed in the heart during a fight between Red Star and Galatasaray supporters, Turkey's official Anatolia news agency said.
The two sides disputed a sellout Euroleague match which Galatasaray won 110-103. But many fans were left outside with no tickets.
Euroleague Basketball condemned the "senless violence" in which Ivkovic died.
"This tragedy offends the true spirit of sports," Jordi Bertomeu, Euroleague Basketball president, said in a statement.
"Violence has no place in our game, at our arenas or anywhere near them," he added.
Euroleague said it has requested that both clubs and the Turkish authorities make available all the information about the incident and will evaluate any measures to be taken.
Trouble erupted in front of the stadium, the Serbian consul in Istanbul Zoran Markovic told Serbian state-run Tanjug news agency.
Turkish doctors battled for five hours to save 25-year-old Ivkovic, but he eventually died due to massive bleeding, Markovic added.
According to Tanjug, Galatasaray fans attacked some 400 Red Star supporters who had not tickets. Stones and flares were thrown in the battle.
The Turkish club said the fight was started by Red Star fans in streets outside the stadium and expressed "deep sorrow" over the death.
"We are of the opinion that this judicial case has nothing to do with Galatasaray Sports Club, or its supporters," Galatasaray said in a statement.
"We want to emphasise once more that violence overshadowing the basic goal of sports is unacceptable no matter where it comes from and in what form, and hope that peace will prevail in sports fields," it added.
Istanbul police said security forces stood between the rival fans to keep them apart.
"It is understood that one supporter was stabbed and killed while Red Star fans were being escorted away from the venue," said a police statement, which added that an investigation had been launched.
Source: AFP