The matches of the Greek football championship will be played behind closed doors until February 12 in an attempt to stem the violence which regularly punctuates Greek sport, the government announced on Monday.
“All matches in the Greek championship will take place behind closed doors for the next two months, until February 12,” explained government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis after violence committed Thursday during a Greek championship match. volleyball in Athens, during which a police officer was seriously injured.
The government spokesperson specified that this measure could also apply “on a case-by-case basis to the European matches of Greek teams” participating this week in the Europa League (C3) and the Europa Conference League (C4). The C3 match between Olympiakos and the Serbian club Backa Topola will therefore take place without spectators, said Mr. Marinakis.
High-definition cameras and electronic entry systems with verification of supporters’ identities will also be installed in all stadiums, according to the government. “For many years, criminals posing as fans have committed serious crimes, seriously injuring and killing people,” Pavlos Marinakis continued.
On Thursday, a police officer was seriously injured during violence on the sidelines of a volleyball match between Olympiakos and Panathinaikos. Aged 31, the police officer, injured in a thigh and suffering from hemorrhage, was hospitalized and his state of health is still “critical”, according to the authorities.
The violence took place outside the Melina-Merkouri stadium, in Rentis, a suburb of Athens. Police arrested more than 400 people, the majority of whom were released on Saturday.
On Sunday, an 18-year-old Greek boy was arrested, accused of throwing a flare which seriously injured the police officer. Prosecuted in particular for “attempted murder”, he must be presented in court on Thursday.
Violence has plagued Greek sport for several years, particularly football matches. In a country in economic crisis, the stands become outlets where aggression is based on rivalries between clubs, fueled by owners with interests beyond the limits of the field and who do not hesitate to exacerbate tensions.
Last week, referees of the football championship announced their intention to carry out a strike “from the 14th day”, which begins on Saturday, “until conditions become normal for (their) physical integrity”.
In February 2022, a 19-year-old young man was killed in Thessaloniki by hooligans from a rival club. In August 2023, another 29-year-old AEK Athens supporter was murdered during an attack by Croatian and Greek hooligans in the capital.
Last year, the government had already increased the maximum prison sentence from six months to five years for perpetrators of unrest, without however managing to reduce the violence.
