By Mark Baber
March 5 – Greece’s deputy sports minister Stavros Kontonis confirmed Wednesday that the Super League will resume this weekend, with matches initially being played behind closed doors. The decision came after day long talks with Super League president Giorgos Borovilos and Hellenic Football Federation chief Giorgos Girtzikis on plans to tackle violence.
The league was suspended last week, for the third time this season, after a pitch invasion at the end of the Panathinaikos-Olympiakos derby, the throwing of bottles at officials and claims from a Panathinaikos official that he was assaulted by an Olympiakos security man at a board meeting arranged between the two clubs.
New guidelines are set to be drawn up today and Borovilos said measures to be implemented could include a total ban on away fans, stricter penalties including fines and points deductions, greater authority for referees and stewards, and improved policing of fans outside and inside the stadiums.
The new governing far-left anti-austerity coalition Syriza, led by dedicated Panathinaikos fan and now Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, is determined to eliminate violence from Greek football where previous Greek governments have failed.
Kontonis said the priorities for next season include “electronic ticketing, addressing violence in general and financial fraud.” He said he was concerned that previous commitments on measures to prevent hooliganism had not been strictly implemented and hoped that this would now change.