On Sunday, things got out of hand when Greek soccer rivals Olympiakos and Panathinaikos squared off in Athens, with Panathinaikos fans hurling flares, rocks and bottles at officials on the field.
Look at this video. It’s terrifying.
Officials from the two sides sat down Tuesday for a meeting brokered by Superleague Greece officials. The violence continued, according to ESPNFC.com:
Organisers of the Greek Super League say an executive meeting was broken up after officials from rivals Olympiakos and Panathinaikos were involved in a brawl.
The officials said Tuesday’s meeting was called off following the incident.
Panathinaikos official Vassilis Constantinou, a former national team goalkeeper, walked out of the meeting holding his lower lip, and told reporters he had been punched by an Olympiakos security guard.
On Wednesday, the Associated Press reported that Greece’s three top leagues have been suspended indefinitely in the wake of the violence. It’s the third time this season that the entire league has been suspended. In September, a fan died after a clash between supporters of third-division teams Ethnikos Piraeus and Irodotos, and in December, the league’s assistant director of the refereeing committee was assaulted.
Greece’s government wants new security measures at Greek soccer stadiums, the AP reports:
Stavros Kontonis, the deputy minister for sport in Greece’s new left-wing government, previously told private Skai television that the league would not start next season unless all 18 clubs introduce smart-card ticketing and security camera systems at matches.
Olympiakos and Panathinaikos form the most heated rivalry in Greek soccer, with their annual matches dubbed the “Derby of the Eternal Enemies.”
After spending the first 17 years of his Post career writing and editing, Matt and the printed paper had an amicable divorce in 2014. He's now blogging and editing for the Early Lead and the Post's other Web-based products.
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