Of late, there have been various incidents where soccer fans have engaged in violence either at a stadium or outside or even on the field. In a significant step aimed at curbing the disturbing trend of violence among football enthusiasts, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made a noteworthy announcement on Wednesday.

He revealed that soccer clubs associated with organized fan groups will now face closure. This decision emerged following a pivotal meeting involving some very important people.

A day of closure for a serious issue

The meeting involved Aleksander Ceferin, the President of UEFA, along with the chief executives and representatives of Greece’s prominent football clubs. The clubs are Olympiakos, Panathinaikos, AEK, and PAOK.

The impetus for this decision arose in the aftermath of the tragic demise. This was the death of Michalis Katsouris, a 29-year-old, two weeks prior. His life was cut short during a clash between supporters of AEK Athens and Croatia’s Dinamo Zagreb in Athens. This unfortunate incident occurred just before a crucial Champions League qualifying match.

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Prime Minister Mitsotakis elaborated on the measures, stating, “Organized football fan clubs will be closed. Each team will have only one, based at the team’s offices.” He further emphasized that the entry of organized fans into stadiums will be subject to vigilant police monitoring.

In Greece, until recent times, the establishment of football fan clubs necessitated the written approval of sports associations. The segment of paid athletes, or an undisclosed sports entity initiated by the association. These clubs’ branches and offices did not possess independent legal status.

By the year 2020, Greece witnessed the operation of approximately 150 fan clubs and associated offices. A notable number of these entities lacked proper legal licenses. Subsequent investigations prompted the closure of several such establishments. Regulations governing club operations were subsequently strengthened within the same year.

In February 2022, in response to the tragic demise of 19-year-old Alkis Kampanos, a result of altercations involving PAOK Thessaloniki fans, the operation of all football fan clubs was temporarily suspended until July 31, 2022. This suspension was coupled with announcements regarding the forthcoming reinforcement of the legal framework, entailing potential prison sentences of up to five years. The loss of a young life is always a hard fact to digest.

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A painful loss

Kyriakos Mitsotakis conveyed his condolences for the loss of Michalis Katsouris, addressing the issue of criminal groups. Additionally, he unveiled plans for the establishment of a violence observatory, featuring participation from various nations. The purpose of this observatory is to provide early alerts to UEFA regarding high-risk incidents.

Aleksander Ceferin, the head of UEFA, categorically denounced fan violence as a “cancer of football.” He unequivocally stated, “These individuals are not genuine fans. They exploit football for their agendas.” Ceferin further pledged enhanced efforts to address and combat this detrimental phenomenon.

Meanwhile, the return match between AEK and Dinamo transpired in Zagreb on Tuesday. The initial match had been postponed following the events in Athens and has yet to be rescheduled. The match took place under heightened police presence and unfolded without any untoward incidents.

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