AEK president taken to hospital
AEK Athens president Andreas Dimitrelos was admitted to hospital with chest pains a day after the club’s fans caused the abandonment of a Greek Super League match, a spokesman said on Monday.
He had left the club’s Olympic Stadium on Sunday with other administrative officials, before an ugly pitch invasion during the match against Panthrakikos.
Players from both teams were chased off the pitch by angry AEK fans after the hosts conceded an 87th-minute goal in the crucial relegation match.
After a 90-minute delay, referee Stavros Tritsonis announced that the match was being abandoned.
Panthrakikos president Dimitris Tzelepis spoke of his fear at watching his players and officials being attacked.
Panthrakikos goalkeeper Spiros Vrontaras and team manager Haris Mavromatis suffered facial injuries as they escaped to the dressing rooms.
“Both Spiros and Haris received blows to the face and generally had very bad knocks, I was afraid when I saw them,» Tzelepis told Sentra 103.3 radio.
“There was fear among everyone, including myself, when I went to the locker room. The behaviour of the AEK squad and team officials was excellent before and after, there were no problems from them.”
Tzelepis said his club had spoken to AEK’s coaching team and had agreed to finish the game despite the fact there were rocks and broken objects strewn all over the pitch.
“But the referee decided that the match would not be re-started,» he said. «AEK were not interested in playing to try and level the score, more just to give themselves a chance in the final match of the season.
“Unfortunately we were not able to enjoy the victory. It is not good to be a witness to something like that, and the fact
that such a big club like AEK might be relegated as a result of what happened. It was tough to see their players in tears.”
AEK officials will appear before a Super League disciplinary committee on Tuesday to learn their fate.
Panathinaikos was docked five points, handed an automatic 3-0 loss and ordered to play four games behind closed doors as punishment for a similar incidents last season when fans invaded the pitch in the derby against Olympiakos, causing the match to be abandoned.
AEK’s offices were closed on Monday and their players were given two days off.
Police said 15 people were arrested following the disturbances and two officers suffered minor injuries.
[Reuters]
