Football is back in Aleppo

In their first match on home turf since the city was divided after rebels took east Aleppo in 2012, the two clubs, Al Ittihad and Hurriya, brought back a taste of normal life to their fans. With games previously played all over the country, the Syrian Premier League was not able to hold regular matches after the conflict erupted nearly six years ago.

A large Ittihad banner draped behind the stands features an image of President Bashar al-Assad. So far no other game has yet been scheduled in Aleppo.

Fans were delighted to return to the stadium after years of war, despite having lost friends who have fled Syria or been killed. "The last match I went to was in 2010," says Mohammed Ali, sporting his team's jersey. More than 310,000 people have been killed, and millions have fled their homes, since the conflict erupted after the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011.

Police in full riot gear stood by as eager fans supported their teams on the dry grass pitch. In 2012, matches resumed in a reduced format and only in the regime-held cities of Damascus and Latakia.

Some professional players left the country for their own safety, while others left in protest. According to Syrian football expert Mohammed Nasser, conditions for players and fans have become worse in recent years: "Although there have been some highlights, like the Syrian national team's triumph at the West Asian Football Championship in 2012, some players were even killed during matches."

One supporter, Ghassan Mahmoud, said before the kick-off: "We had started feeling a bit desperate, because no match was ever held in Aleppo. But now security has returned, we hope the club's crowds will slowly come back to the stands."