The Deputy Minister of Sport Stavros Kontonis announced that football fans would be barred for a second consecutive week, after consulting with the Hellenic Police and Standing Committee on Tackling Violence.
The decision came after the quarterfinals Cup game between AEK and Olympiacos, which the referee had to prematurely end, after disappointed AEK fans invaded the pitch with violent intentions.
While the atmosphere in the packed out OAKA stadium was fantastic for most of the match – with the two teams locked in a stalemate – everything changed near the end, when Olympiacos striker Franco Jara scored a goal, which meant that the “Reds” would progress to the next stage of the Cup.
At that point a group of about 20-30 AEK fans invaded the pitch with violent intentions and began throwing flares and other items towards Olympiacos players and the police. The referee immediately stopped the game, as the visiting team’s players and staff scrambled to the changing rooms.
