Greek bar owner loses ears during fight

ATHENS - A Greek tavern owner who tried to break up a fight between customers watching a Greece-Turkey soccer match had both ears bitten off, police said today.

Owner Dimitris Tsibibakis intervened as scuffles erupted after a group of Bulgarians shouted slogans supporting Turkey when they scored their third goal in the European championship qualifier and locals told them to stop.

"I tried to split them up and ended up on the floor with one of the Bulgarians biting one ear and another one chewing the other ear off," Tsibibakis told state television from hospital.

"I need to have plastic surgery. Doctors told me they cannot just stitch them back on," Tsibibakis said. "At least I still have the pieces that were bitten off."

Police said they arrested three of the Bulgarians and were looking for a fourth. Greece lost the match against their archrivals 4-1.

- REUTERS