Tougher anti-violence measures proposed Greek football federation president Sophocles Pilavios has called for harsher penalties for those found guilty of football-related violence, and wants the Greek state to help by reforming current legislation.
Following a meeting the President of the Hellenic Republic, Karolos Papoulias, Mr Pilavios said it was clear the sport needed assistance from the Greek government and possibly UEFA, the governing body of football in Europe.
Greece’s history of football-related violence was on display last month in a match involving bitter rivals Olympiakos and Panathinaikos, which Olympiakos won 2-1 thanks to a controversial late goal, after Panathinaikos had a perfectly good goal canceled out for offside, with replays showing the referee and his linesman made a tragic mistake, which many supporters in Greece could just not believe was human error.
Olympiakos owner Vangelis Marinakis was shown on video after the derby abusing Panathinaikos’s French striker Djibril Cisse, the league’s leading scorer, just moments after Olympiakos fans kicked and shoved Panathinaikos players as they left the pitch. Marinakis later apologised for his actions and requested that representatives of the clubs meet, but Panathinaikos refused and Cisse lodged a complaint against the club owner.
Cisse has said that he would leave Greece after this season because of the acts of violence in the country, which often spills out of stadiums as fans fight each other and target players and managers to vent their frustration. Pilavios said the federation would introduce five referees next season in Greek Cup matches, admitting that poor officiating has led to much of the violence at the pitches. “My proposal is to consolidate the sports legislation in a simple way as to ensure that steps will be taken to combat the violence,” Pilavios told reporters after a meeting to discuss the increase in violence at matches. “We intend to take certain steps. Firstly, we want to prohibit the use of flares and firecrackers.”
He also criticised the top flight Super League for not doing enough to stop the violence. “The Super League must reconsider how it operates,” he said. Meanwhile Cisse is standing firm on his decision to leave Greece this summer after the violence during the derby. Cisse also took the opportunity to attack Olympiakos president Vangelis Marinakis, whom he has also sued, and to praise Panathinaikos’s fans. Cisse stressed that he does not want to relive his experience at the Karaiskaki Stadium, when dozens of home fans attacked the Panathinaikos players after the final whistle.
“As soon as the referee ended the game, many fans stormed the pitch and started hitting me and swearing at me. That, for me, is the end. I do not want to go through that again,” said the Super League’s top scorer. “The president of Olympiakos is also the president of the Super League. Such behavior does not become a man of his position, but he probably does not care,” he added, referring to Marinakis’s controversial behavior after the derby. “At this moment, my decision has not changed. I cannot play under such conditions. I will see what offers I will get and then we will see what happens,” stated Cisse, giving a ray of hope to Panathinaikos supporters who have been begging him to change his mind and stay on for one more year at least.
He has a contract until the summer of 2013. “Panathinaikos fans are fantastic. I adore them. They are constantly by the team’s side and I cherish playing for them. What they did at the match against Atromitos was special,” said the French international striker, in reference to the largely peaceful demonstration of some 35,000 fans at the Olympic Stadium, who gave the Greens a champion’s welcome on February 26.