The Greek government has suspended the basketball league finals between Panathinaikos and Olympiacos following on-court scuffles during Sunday’s match.
The best-of-five series is currently tied 1-1. Game three, which was scheduled for Wednesday, has been postponed.
According to Associated Press, both clubs’ owners were summoned to meet with the country’s sports minister.
Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis warned that failure to comply could lead to the cancellation of the championship.
“(They) will be asked to provide explicit guarantees that this situation will be brought to an end. If not, this year’s championship will be definitively cancelled,” Marinakis said.
“There can be no tolerance for such pathological phenomena of violence and delinquency.”
However, in separate social media posts, the owners of Panathinaikos and Olympiakos indicated they would not attend a joint meeting with the minister, casting doubt on the government’s demands.
The rivalry between the two Athens-based clubs spans multiple sports and has a history of violence.
The latest disruption occurred despite recent efforts to reduce sports-related violence in Greece, including enhanced surveillance and stricter ticketing systems linked to government-issued IDs.
Sunday’s match at the Peace and Friendship Stadium — won by Olympiacos — was marred by incidents.
Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos was escorted out halftime following a confrontation with referees. Head coach Ergin Ataman was ejected in the fourth quarter after a second technical foul. Television footage showed security from both clubs clashing as Giannakopoulos exited.
Panathinaikos later criticised the refereeing as biased and “disgraceful” in a statement.
In response, Olympiacos co-chairman Giorgos Angelopoulos accused Giannakopoulos of abusive behaviour.
“He is toxic — the definition of violence,” Angelopoulos said. “He cannot continue to be part of Greek sports. No apology will be accepted.”
The two clubs had recently played in the EuroLeague Final Four in Abu Dhabi, where Olympiacos and Panathinaikos placed third and fourth, respectively.
