Last weekend’s professional soccer matches were postponed following a series of violent incidents at matches and last week’s outdoor insurrection at a volleyball tournament believed to be conducted through organized groups of soccer fans.
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The 31-year-old police officer, injured in the clashes, remains hospitalized in a coma after being hit in the left leg by a flare, which caused profuse bleeding and cardiac arrest.
“This fatal attack on a police officer is the first incident of excessive fan violence in recent years. Criminals posing as sports enthusiasts commit serious crimes, seriously injuring and killing people,” government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis told reporters.
Riot police detain fans outside the Melina Merkouri Indoor Stadium in Athens, Dec. 8, 2023 (Yorgos Matthaios/Eurokinissi Sports via AP).
He said the 14 top-tier Super League clubs will have to install surveillance cameras inside stadiums and use custom ticketing systems that will require the holder to show ID on the front before they are allowed to admit their supporters.
The security systems, coupled with a network of high-resolution surveillance cameras inside the stadiums, meet the criteria set by soccer’s governing framework in Europe, UEFA said, Marinakis said.
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An 18-year-old has been arrested and taken into custody in connection with the officer’s injury and will face charges of attempted murder. The guy, who has not been identified, made the impression at an arraignment hearing Monday after being escorted handcuffed into court through police. He had until Thursday to prepare his defense.
Violence has plagued Greek football for decades, despite repeated efforts to crack down on fan associations accused of being guilty of the attacks, mostly in open-air stadiums.
Olympiakos, under new Portuguese head coach Carlos Carvalhal, will face Serbia’s Backa Topola in the Europa League at home Thursday without fans as a result of the decision.
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But Greek clubs Panathinaikos and PAOK will conclude their European matches with fans. Panathinaikos will host Maccabi Haifa in Athens on Thursday in the Europa League and PAOK will host HJK Helsinki in the Conference League on Thursday in Thessaloniki.