The matches of the Greek Football Championship will be played behind closed doors until February 12. Announced on Monday by the government of the Mediterranean country, this decision aims to stem the violence which regularly punctuates Greek sport. This measure was taken after violence on Thursday during a volleyball match in Athens, where a police officer was seriously injured.
“For many years, criminals posing as fans have committed serious crimes, seriously injuring and killing,” government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said. He then clarified that this measure could apply “on a case-by-case basis to the European matches of Greek teams” participating this week in the Europa League and the Europa Conference League. The C3 match between Olympiakos and the Serbian club Backa Topola, scheduled for this Thursday, will take place without spectators.
Impressive violence that is repeated
In Greece, violence regularly accompanies football matches, where brawls around the stadium have become common. In a year and a half, the Greek football community has experienced two homicides on the sidelines of key matches. In February 2022, 19-year-old Alkis Kampanos was killed outside the Aris Salonika stadium before a derby against PAOK. A dozen people were convicted of intentional homicide last July in relation to this case, for sentences ranging from nineteen years in prison to life.
Last August, a 29-year-old AEK Athens fan was killed while taking part in a fight with Dinamo Zagreb fans. This incident took place a few hours before a Champions League qualifying match. “The new fashion is to go around in groups, armed with knives, to find rival supporters. It’s out of control,” sports journalist Aris Asvestas told our columns last November.
In March 2018, another major event shook the country, when the president of PAOK burst onto the pitch with a gun on his belt, while his team had just been denied the winning goal against the ‘AEK. This scene led to the suspension of the Greek Championship for two weeks. The main person concerned was sentenced to twenty-five months in prison ten months ago, but is still president of the club to this day.
