Greek Championship will be played without fans until February 12th after cases of violence – 12/11/2023 – Sport

The Greek Championship will be played without fans for the next two months, Greek government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis announced this Monday (11).

“Greek Championship matches will be played behind closed doors for the next two months, until February 12,” Marinakis declared, adding that this measure could also be applied “on a case-by-case basis in Greek teams’ European matches.”

The decision was taken after a police officer was seriously injured in a volleyball match in Athens last Thursday (7) between Olympiakos and Panathinaikos, in the quarter-finals of the Volleyball League Cup, which was suspended.

The 21-year-old police officer was injured in the thigh by a flare and suffered bleeding. He was hospitalized and is in “critical” condition, authorities said.

At Thursday’s game, more than 400 people were detained, but most were released on Saturday. On Sunday, an 18-year-old man was arrested and charged with “attempted murder” for throwing the flare that injured the officer.

“For many years, criminals have posed as fans to commit serious crimes, seriously injuring and killing,” said the government spokesman.

To try to reduce violence in the league’s stadiums, high-definition cameras and an electronic identity verification system were installed at the entrance to these venues, according to the Greek government.

Stadium violence has been a common problem in Greece for many years. A week ago, a Greek Championship football game between Olympiakos and Volos had to be stopped due to violent acts committed by hooligans.

Last week, the referees of this competition announced their intention to go on strike “until conditions are normal for their physical integrity”.