Super League resumes after two-week freeze
Greek soccer’s Super League is returning to action this weekend after two weeks of suspension, the General Secretariat for Sports announced that Deputy Minister for Sports Giorgos Vassiliadis decided on Tuesday.
It followed Monday’s unanimous approval by the Super League of the terms Vassiliadis had issued for the resumption of top-flight soccer and of the Greek Cup.
The four conditions set by the minister and the 16 Super League clubs approved despite their partial disagreements, are the following:
– The relegation of clubs that are responsible for fan violence at least four times in a season (with the clubs demanding clarifications on the definition of violent incidents and the attribution of blame on a club);
– Clubs will be punished for inflammatory statements by their officials;
– Police will stay outside the soccer grounds, with security on the inside being the exclusive responsibility of the clubs;
– The soccer federation’s court of arbitration is abolished.
The league and cup were suspended earlier this month after the abandoned Super League match between PAOK and AEK, when PAOK officials threatened the match referee, including PAOK owner Ivan Savvidis storming into the pitch with a gun in a hip holster.
