Seeking an antidote to sports violence
Fresh batch of measures to tackle hooliganism in aftermath of serious injury to officer
For the third time in less than two years, the government is confronted with an extreme manifestation of sports violence, which requires the adoption of emergency measures.
Despite the measures announced in the past and any efforts made, the criminal activity of organized groups operating on the sidelines of sporting events seems to be developing like a hydra of Greek mythology, with new, threatening heads constantly springing up.
The latest incident of sports-related violence occurred last week during a volleyball match between Olympiacos and Panathinaikos and led to the serious injury of a 31-year-old riot unit officer who remains in hospital with life-threatening injuries.
It followed the murders of Michalis Katsouris in Athens in August and Alkis Kabanos in Thessaloniki on February 1, 2022, and sparked fresh criticism against the government’s attempts to tackle the problem.
The government has insisted that the new package of measures announced on Monday will bring results, particularly through the way judicial investigations are undertaken. Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis spoke of “dynamic interventions” that will be regularly reviewed based on their results.
More specifically, the government announced: (i) the holding of all Super League 1 matches behind closed doors until February 12, with an extension of the measure to Super League 2 teams owned by first division clubs, as well as Cup matches and friendlies, provided the home team participates in Super League 1; (ii) the installation of high-definition cameras in Super League 1 stadiums, with access by the competent authorities to recordings, and identity checks of fans; (iii) the criminalization of all cases of sports violence by the judicial system. At the same time, it is announced that the two-month closed-door period will be extended if the measures decided upon are not implemented.
Government sources said that, based on the information available to the relevant authorities, it is believed that the root of the problem lies in the realm of soccer where organized groups of fans, often acting as criminal gangs, engage in extremely violent behavior.
The same sources also noted that the witness statements in the case of last week’s volleyball match referred to an organized operation by such groups concerning the supply of flares and instructions on how to use them. They also cited statements by sports officials that, they say, only fuel the climate of violence.
