The Greek policeman seriously injured by the jet of a distress flare during clashes between hooligans on December 7, on the sidelines of a volleyball match in Athens, died on Wednesday December 27 from his injuries, announced the hospital where he was being treated.
Aged 31, this police officer was injured in the thigh during the violence that occurred during the match between the two rival clubs in the capital, Olympiakos and Panathinaikos. He was hospitalized because he was suffering from a hemorrhage, before doctors amputated his leg in an attempt to save his life. That same evening, an 18-year-old man was arrested by police and confessed to throwing the flare that injured the officer.
Faced with violence, football matches played behind closed doors
In reaction to this incident, and as violence between fans shook Greek sport, the government announced on December 11 that all football championship matches would be played behind closed doors until February 12. The ban on the presence of supporters in the stands also applies “on a case-by-case basis to European matches of Greek teams” participating this week in the Europa League and the Europa Conference League.
Other measures have been announced, such as the installation in all stadiums of high-definition cameras and electronic entry systems with verification of the identity of supporters. In the wake of these announcements, the president of the Greek Football League, Evangelos Marinakis, resigned.