By Andrew Warshaw
March 31 – Greek football’s potentially fatal collision course with FIFA and UEFA has seemingly moved a step closer after the parties failed to resolve their difference over what has been dubbed ‘Grexit’ by the Greek media.
Greece has been ordered to reinstate its national cup competition, scrapped by the government earlier this month because of crowd trouble, or risk serious sanctions at both national and club level.
The cup competition was called off after the first leg of the semi-final between PAOK Salonika and Olympiakos on March 2 was abandoned due to a pitch invasion, with fans hurling flares and missiles before being dispersed by riot police.
New legislation would allow the government to impose fines ranging from €10,000 to €25 million for violent incidents, order the postponement or cancellation of sporting events and even prohibit teams from playing in European competition but the legislation would breach strict rules on government interference in football and the Greeks have been given until tomorrow, April 1, to comply or potentially have their country and clubs expelled.
A delegation from FIFA and UEFA, joined by the Hellenic Football Federation (EPO), met Wednesday with Deputy Minister for Sport Stavros Kontonis, only for the impasse to remain in place.
“The cup must be completed,” said the head of FIFA’s delegation Costakis Koutsokoumnis, president of the Cyprus Football Association (CFA). “There are measures that could be implemented; it could be played behind closed doors or on in a neutral stadium, and it could even be staged with foreign referees…
“I hope that we will… be in a position to give a one-week extension to the deadline for the minister to change his decision. But I fear that this will not happen. The news is not good. I am sorry for this development, this is not good for Greek football.”
Kontonis counters that no decision on reinstating the cup will be made until the EPO’s appeal against the move is heard by the Supreme Court on April 5.
“The meeting was constructive, but there was no agreement,” Kontonis told reporters. “For the government, the importance here is social peace and the protection of law and order, and of Greece’s youth; at the moment we are waiting for FIFA’s requests in writing in order to respond and take the necessary actions.”
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