The Greek government has imposed a two-month ban on spectators at Greek Premier League matches until February 12, 2024, in a bid to curb violence by sports fans.
The government’s decision was motivated by a violent incident last week during the volleyball match between Olympiakos and Panathinaikos, in which a policeman was seriously injured, the BBC reports.
According to government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis, the ban could also affect the European home matches of some Greek clubs, and the two-month ban could be extended if measures such as security cameras and identification devices are not implemented in stadiums.
“For years, criminals masquerading as fans have committed serious crimes, injuring and killing people. Neither athletes nor fans should have to suffer the murderous behavior of criminal gangs,” Marinakis added.
This October, the football match between Olympiakos and Panathinaikos was abandoned in the 50th minute because Panathinaikos defender Juankar was hit by a firework thrown by an opposing fan. In August, an AEK fan in Athens was stabbed to death outside the stadium. Last year, a fan was killed in a clash between fans of rival clubs Aris and PAOK in Thessaloniki.
2023-12-11 20:57:11
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