December 13 – Evangelos Marinakis is stepping down as president of the Greek Super League following the latest wave of football-related violence and the recent government announcement that matches are to be played behind closed doors for two months until improved safety measures are put in place.
“I have neither the time nor the desire to continue to be involved in the management of the league while the words of certain board members are not consistent with their actions,” Marinakis (pictured), who owns Nottingham Forest and Olympiakos, wrote in a letter to the Greek league’s board of directors.
The shipping magnate added: “I condemn unequivocally all forms of violence, both in society and in football,” insisting he wanted to rid Greek football “of the criminal elements that are killing it”.
The government’s decision to bar spectators came after a police officer was severely injured last week when he was struck by a flare as rival football fans clashed during a volleyball game in the capital, with 400 arrests.
Marinakis, who has held the role as president since June 2022, added: “I tried to create professional refereeing… and all this with the agreement of the vast majority of teams. But it seems that certain people don’t want to change it. I unequivocally condemn all forms of violence, both in society and in football.”
Hooliganism continues to mar Greek football despite the fact that last year the government increased the maximum sentence for crimes of fan violence from six months to five years after a fatal stabbing. Last August, another fan, Michalis Katsouris, was also was stabbed to death in violent clashes before a Champions League match.
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