The fiery local game between Olympiakos and Panathinaikos ended goalless.
Olympiakos owner Evangelos Marinakis did not accept the referee’s decisions. PDO
The hottest fight in the Greek league is traditionally the local game between Panathinaikos from Athens and Olympiakos from the neighboring port city of Piraeus.
The “eternal enemies” clashed again on Saturday, and emotional excesses were not avoided this time either.
The home team Olympiakos was clearly stronger, and its supporters already assumed Marios Vrousain The winning goal scored in the 89th minute was enough to fill the points pot.
Greek referees no longer dare to whistle a high-octane local game, so referees have to be brought from abroad. Vrousai’s hit was hit by the Portuguese João Pinheiro rejected because the referee received information from the VAR council about the offside that preceded the situation.
The hosts’ dreams of victory were finally shattered when the top scorer Sokratis Papastathopoulos got a red card at the end of the match.
After the match ended in a goalless draw, Pinheiro had to resort to the help of the police, when the billionaire owner of Olympiakos Evangelos Marinakis rushed onto the field demanding an explanation.
Marinakis, who created a billion-dollar fortune in the media and equipment business, has built his own football empire, because he owns Nottingham Forest, which plays in the Premier League, in addition to Olympiakos.
Panathinaikos kept its top spot in the Greek league, but AEK was already two points behind.
Screamers Nikolai Alho also had an early shower, burdened by two cautions, when his team Volos drew 1-1 with league jumbo Lamia.