Soccer Super League Championships Could Be Suspended Following Violent Clashes

The games between long-standing rivals Olymiakos and Panathinaikos have always polarized their fans at most of the sporting matches in Greece. In many cases, the games went from noble competition to violent hooligan clashes. The game last Sunday was no exception. It was marred by violent outbursts of soccer hooligans as well as flares and fireworks being thrown towards the players, coach and even the owner of the Piraeus-based team.

The Green Team many have won the game, but the clash with the Red Team continued at Super League’s board meeting on Tuesday and it was quite ugly.

During the proceedings the owner of Olympiakos (Vangelis Marinakis), and the owner of Panathinaikos (Yannis Alafouzos), exchanged harsh words and blamed each other for the events that occurred during last Sunday’s game.

Marinakis apparently lost his temper and allegedly threw a glass of water at Alafouzos. It was also reported that one of Marinakis' security giards punched the Vice President of Panathinaikos (Vasilis Konstantinou). Following the incident, Alafouzos said that he was going to press charges against Marinakis for the unprecedented assault.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras would meet with the Deputy Minister of Sports Stavros Kontonis in order to discuss possible solutions. Reports claim that Kontonis has already met with representatives of the Hellenic Olympic Committee and the Hellenic Gymnastics Federation and appears determined to suspend the soccer championship unless some peaceful solution is found.

If the Super League is suspended it is going to be the third time this season that professional soccer in Greece has been shut down.

Games were halted for one week last September following the death of a soccer fan after violent clashes at a third division match between Ethnikos Piraeus and Irodotos.

Officlas then suspended matches again last November after Christoforos Zografos, assistant director of the Central Refereeing Committee (KED), was taken to hospital following a violent assault.

Successive governments and soccer authorities have attempted on more than one occasion, but failed, to stamp out the violence that is displayed during these games. Let us hope that this time they find a solution.

Article in Greek - sport24