Twice-postponed basketball game is set for Friday
Basketball officials yesterday set Friday as the new date for the second game in a best-of-three semifinal clash between Olympiakos and Panathinaikos – after two postponements in three days. The latest attempt to stage the game, on Monday, failed after stone-throwing hooded hooligans ambushed the Panathinaikos team bus on its way to the Peace and Friendship Stadium at Neo Faliron. Five players and a team assistant were slightly injured by broken glass. Yesterday, a public prosecutor charged one man with unprovoked aggravated assault and damaging a vehicle in concert with others, and formation of a gang. Constantinos Mouchtouris, 38 – who is an employee at Intracom, the telecommunications equipment firm owned by Olympiakos President Socrates Kokkalis – was traced after an eyewitness said he recalled his motorbike’s registration plate and arrested hours after the attack. He had been arrested once before for trying to smuggle flares into a football stadium. Mouchtouris denied being involved during police questioning and claimed that he traveled to the stadium without passing along Syngrou Avenue, where the attack occurred. Police said approximately 10 culprits were seen escaping from the scene. Basketball officials will today discuss security measures for Friday’s game. Olympiakos is expected to demand that Panathinaikos fans be barred from attending.
