The Super League will suffer another round of games without fans at the stands as Deputy Sports Minister Stavros Kontonis announced the extension of the fan ban for all teams in the top flight to this weekend, in the wake of the pitch invasion at the AEK vs Olympiakos Cup game a few hours earlier.
“By decision of Deputy Minister for Culture, Education and Religions Stavros Kontonis and following the recommendations by Hellenic Police and DEAV [the commission against violence], the 28th round of games will take place behind closed doors,” read the ministry’s decision almost an hour and a half after the abandonment of the Cup game at the Olympic Stadium.
This will be the second weekend in a row when games take place without fans, following a weekend of no action at all in the aftermath of the Panathinaikos vs Olympiakos derby riots and the clash between club officials at the Super League governing board.
However, the measure has no effect for the Football League and other team sports, such as basketball and volleyball, where riots have repeatedly taken place, too.
Violence hasn’t stopped with the ban. Last week when there were no fans at the stands – one man was seriously injured and another less seriously in Thessaloniki at an incident when two Aris fans taunted four PAOK supporters outside a PAOK fan club, only to end up in hospital.
Source: Kathimerini