By Andrew Warshaw
February 26 – Just as its new government struggles to come to terms with its enormous debt crisis, Greece now has a major sporting issue on its hands with domestic football plunged back into chaos after the authorities ordered the suspension of the top three league divisions.
The emergency move followed the latest outbreak of violence at last weekend’s clash between renowned foes Olympiakos and Panathinaikos and is a clear indication of the country’s recently-elected Syriza ruling party’s determination to crack down.
Initially it was reported that the ban was indefinite but the government later clarified it will be limited to this coming weekend’s action following two meetings between Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and deputy sports minister Stavros Kontonis.
Both sides are to reconvene in the middle of next week and the Super League will only resume on condition that fresh measures are put in place to contain crowd violence.
“Under the current circumstances it is impossible to have Super League games played this weekend,” said Kontonis. “The decision of the government regarding the combating of violence is definitive and irrevocable.”
“We’ll meet again with the representatives of the authorities next Wednesday and see what they have implemented from what they have promised to do. If the situation remains the same, there will be another suspension.”
The ban follows a pitch invasion at the end of the Athens derby but the trouble wasn’t limited to the fans.
Just as alarmingly, 48 hours later little gentlemanly conduct was shown when a Super League board meeting of club presidents ended abruptly following a bust-up between Olympiakos Piraeus boss Evangelos Marinakis and his Panathinaikos counterpart Giannis Alafouzos.
The disagreement resulted in a general brawl and Alafouzos told reporters his deputy Vasilis Konstantinou suffered a cut lip from a blow by one of Marinakis’s bodyguards. “We were assaulted,” he said. “Mr Marinakis threw a glass of water at me and then his bodyguard threw a punch at Mr Konstantinou. I cannot believe that a Super League board meeting had such violence.”
Kontonis told national TV news channel Skai he was ashamed at the current state of affairs.
“What went on during the (Athens) derby and what has been happening in other stadiums in the past has surpassed all limits… fans invading the pitch, throwing flares that are aimed to hurt people; all this is unthinkable and this situation cannot continue.
“The government will not simply monitor these phenomena in silence. When we see this violence from the stadium go to a boardroom of a football institution, then you understand that the situation is completely out of control.”
Worringly, this is the third time this season that professional soccer in Greece has been shut down.
Matches were halted for one week last September following the death of a fan caught up in violent clashes at a third division match between Ethnikos Piraeus and Irodotos. The authorities then suspended games in November after Christoforos Zografos, assistant director of the Central Refereeing Committee (KED), was taken to hospital following a violent assault. The former FIFA official was severely beaten with wooden clubs by two men in the Kolonosarea of Western Athens in what was described as a “murderous attack”.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734940241labto1734940241ofdlr1734940241owedi1734940241sni@w1734940241ahsra1734940241w.wer1734940241dna1734940241