Iraklis fans respond to provocative banner during FIBA Europe Cup match

During a FIBA Europe Cup match held on October 6, tensions rose between the fans of Iraklis Thessaloniki and the visiting team, MZT Skopje. The incident began when supporters of the visiting team displayed a banner featuring a map that depicted the borders of North Macedonia extending into the Halkidiki region of Greece.

In response to this action, the fans of Iraklis chose to address the provocation with a counter-banner. They displayed an image of the famous Greek singer Kostas Makedonas, accompanied by the caption "100% Makedonas" (100% Macedonian). This act was widely interpreted as a form of trolling directed at the visiting supporters, utilizing the name of the popular artist to assert the Greek identity of the Macedonian region.

The incident took place during a match within the European competition, drawing attention to the sensitivities surrounding territorial claims in sports. No further actions or official sanctions from FIBA regarding the behavior of either set of supporters have been reported as of the latest update.