Burnley fan stabbed in Athens ahead of Olympiakos defeat

Soccer Football - Europa League - Play-Off First Leg - Olympiacos v Burnley - Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece - August 23, 2018 Olympiacos fans with a flare REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

(Reuters) - A Burnley fan was stabbed in the leg and four others were injured in clashes before Thursday's 3-1 Europa League playoff defeat by Olympiakos in Athens, the Premier League club said.

The BBC reported that 23 Burnley fans were arrested for being drunk and disorderly. The club said the majority of their 900 travelling supporters were "impeccably behaved".

"However, five of our supporters were unfortunately injured - including a person who received a stab wound to the leg - and received medical attention at the stadium," Burnley said.

Soccer Football - Europa League - Play-Off First Leg - Olympiacos v Burnley - Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece - August 23, 2018 Olympiacos' Roderick Miranda celebrates Andreas Bouchalakis scoring their second goal REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

"Those injured all travelled independently to the stadium, outside the organised travel operation."

The defeat was Burnley's first of the Europa qualifying campaign. Chris Wood's first-half penalty cancelled out Kostas Fortounis' opener before Andreas Bouchalakis put the hosts ahead after the break and Fortounis scored his second.

Soccer Football - Europa League - Play-Off First Leg - Olympiacos v Burnley - Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece - August 23, 2018 General view of Olympiacos fans inside the stadium REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

Soccer Football - Europa League - Play-Off First Leg - Olympiacos v Burnley - Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece - August 23, 2018 Burnley's Chris Wood scores their first goal from the penalty spot REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

Soccer Football - Europa League - Play-Off First Leg - Olympiacos v Burnley - Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece - August 23, 2018 Olympiacos' Konstantinos Fortounis celebrates scoring their first goal with team mates REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

Soccer Football - Europa League - Play-Off First Leg - Olympiacos v Burnley - Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece - August 23, 2018 Burnley's Kevin Long and James Tarkowski look dejected after the match REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

Soccer Football - Europa League - Play-Off First Leg - Olympiacos v Burnley - Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece - August 23, 2018 Burnley's Ashley Barnes remonstrates with referee Slavko Vincic after he awarded a penalty to Olympiacos REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis