Almost three weeks after the serious riots between hooligans and the police in Piraeus, a Greek police officer has died as a result of his injuries. The health authorities confirmed this on Wednesday (December 27, 2023).
The police officer was hit in the thigh by a flare and suffered a serious artery injury. He was only 31 years old. An 18-year-old was arrested and charged with allegedly firing the flares. Greece’s Police Minister Giannis Economou expressed his condolences and appeals to the family “Unshakable social alliance against violence”.
The riots occurred around a sports hall during the top volleyball match between Olympiacos Piraeus and Panathinaikos Athens. The police had arrested more than 400 rioters and were trying to identify the perpetrators, Greek Radio (ERT) reported at the time.
Hostile team owners probably cause excesses of violence
The supporters of the two big clubs are enemies and the game was canceled. Greek sport, especially football, has been plagued by violence for years. One reason for the excesses is said to be disputes between shipowners and other entrepreneurs who own the most important teams.
The media accuse the team owners of complicity in the riots because they do not have a moderating influence on the supporters. The police also discovered that the rioters had connections with criminal organizations.