A Greek government spokesperson on Monday announced that all Super League matches – Greece’s top-flight pro competition – will be held without spectators for two months.
The measures announced by government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis come in the wake of the serious injury of a 31-year-old police officer last Thursday, who remains in critical condition in hospital.
After congratulating the police for arresting the perpetrator who allegedly fired a naval flare and injured the police officer, the government spokesperson outlined the measures to address hooligan violence inside and outside venues.
The latest measures come after previous such “get tough” decisions failed to prevent such incidents, with many commentators saying even the latest actions are “inadequate.”
The measures include banning spectators from attending pro football matches for two months, until Feb. 12, while it will also apply to the home matches of second division teams affiliated with Super League 1 clubs.
The ban will be examined and re-assessed by authorities after two months. As the spokesperson stated, the implementation of the measure will take effect with the Olympiacos Piraeus vs. TSC Backa Topola match for the Europa League group play at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, scheduled for Dec. 14 at the coastal Neo Faliro venue.
Furthermore, Greek authorities will also examine the progress of the following conditions/actions within these 2 months:
- Installation and operation of high-definition cameras, with UEFA specifications, in all stadiums of Super League 1, with uninterrupted control and utilization of video material by the competent authorities.
- Implementation of an electronic fan entry system with simultaneous ID verification.
Additionally, the Alternate Minister for Sport, Giannis Vroutsis will announce a series of administrative measures, including automatic sanctions against teams in cases of violence, beyond those provided in the current sports justice framework.
As announced, on Tuesday, the minister of citizen protection, Yannis Oikonomou, and Vroutsis, will request from the supreme court’s prosecutor’s office the criminal upgrading of the incident and all cases of sports violence and corruption in order to uncover actual physical perpetrators and the instigator of related crimes, along with a probe over the involvement of any criminal organizations.
