Decisions on sports-related violence expected on Monday
The Greek government will announce on Monday its decisions on how to tackle the perennial problem of sports-related violence, following the serious injury of a police officer in clashes with hooligans during a volleyball match earlier this week.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called an emergency ministerial meeting on Saturday with the participation of the Minister of Citizen Protection Yiannis Economou, Justice, Giorgos Floridis, Deputy Minister of Sports Yiannis Vroutsis, Ministers of State Stavros Papastavrou and Akis Skertsos, and Deputy Minister Yiannis Bratakos.
According to government sources, the government examined two main scenarios (with variations):
1) Repeal its decision last August to bring the entrance used by organized fans to enter the stadium under the jurisdiction of the police. This is a request raised the police union, which had said will endanger the lives of the officers. In this case, the security of the sporting events will be the responsibility of the soccer and basketball clubs in line with the government’s recently adopted law on cameras and named tickets.
2) Suspending all professional games. This is a radical plan that government sources have not denied.
