Eight arrested over clashes during Greek soccer derby
Police say they have so far arrested eight people in connection with clashes which led to the abandonment of Sunday’s soccer derby at the Olympic Stadium of Athens between visiting Olympiakos and Panathinaikos.
The arrests were made with the aid of footage showing fans clashing with police outside the stadium and others attacking the Olympiakos bench on the pitch. An Olympiakos official said that one of the attackers was carrying a knife.
German referee Marco Fritz decided to stop the game with the score at 0-1 due to the effects of tear gas used by police to subdue clashes outside the stadium and the presence of Panathinaikos supporters on the sidelines compromising security.
The match will likely be awarded to Olympiakos with a 3-0 score while Panathinaikos will most probably have six points deducted.
According to a recent law passed by Deputy Sports Minister Giorgos Vassiliadis, all those arrested will be prosecuted and banned from entering stadiums.
