Latest news with #Panathinaikos
Washington Post
16 hours ago
- General
- Washington Post
Greek basketball finals suspended after rivalry again turns ugly
ATHENS, Greece — Greece's government on Monday suspended the basketball league finals between Panathinaikos and Olympiacos following on-court scuffles involving rival security teams. Olympiacos won Sunday's game 91-83, leveling the best-of-five series at 1-1. The third game, scheduled for Wednesday, has been postponed. The owners of both clubs were summoned to meet with the country's sports minister.
Associated Press
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Greek basketball finals suspended after rivalry again turns ugly
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece's government on Monday suspended the basketball league finals between Panathinaikos and Olympiacos following on-court scuffles involving rival security teams. Olympiacos won Sunday's game 91-83, leveling the best-of-five series at 1-1. The third game, scheduled for Wednesday, has been postponed. The owners of both clubs were summoned to meet with the country's sports minister. '(They) will be asked to provide explicit guarantees that this situation will be brought to an end. If not, this year's championship will be definitively canceled,' government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said. 'There can be no tolerance for such pathological phenomena of violence and delinquency,' he added. The two clubs based in the Athens area have a long and often violent history of rivalry spanning basketball, soccer and other sports. The latest unrest comes despite recent government efforts to curb sports-related violence, including surveillance systems at stadiums and mandatory ticketing linked to state ID cards. Both Olympiacos and Panathinaikos competed in the EuroLeague Final Four in Abu Dhabi last month, finishing third and fourth, respectively. Fenerbahce defeated Monaco in the championship game. Sunday's game at Peace and Friendship Stadium was marred by multiple incidents. Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos was escorted out at halftime following a heated exchange with referees. Head coach Ergin Ataman was ejected in the fourth quarter after receiving a second technical foul. Television footage of the game showed security guards from the two teams coming to blows as Giannakopoulos walked out in a heated atmosphere. In a statement, Panathinaikos called the officiating 'disgraceful' and biased against them. Olympiacos co-chairman Giorgos Angelopoulos fired back, accusing Giannakopoulos of abusive behavior. 'The guy is toxic — he is the definition of violence,' Angelopoulos said. 'He cannot continue to be present in Greek sports and act this way.' 'No apology will be accepted,' he added. 'Let Panathinaikos fans celebrate him as a tough guy. We don't want people like that.' Panathinaikos had won Game 1 of the series 80-68 on Friday at the OAKA Arena in northern Athens.
Hindustan Times
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Greek basketball finals suspended after rivalry again turns ugly
ATHENS, Greece — Greece's government on Monday suspended the basketball league finals between Panathinaikos and Olympiacos following on-court scuffles involving rival security teams. Olympiacos won Sunday's game 91-83, leveling the best-of-five series at 1-1. The third game, scheduled for Wednesday, has been postponed. The owners of both clubs were summoned to meet with the country's sports minister. ' will be asked to provide explicit guarantees that this situation will be brought to an end. If not, this year's championship will be definitively canceled,' government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said. 'There can be no tolerance for such pathological phenomena of violence and delinquency,' he added. The two clubs based in the Athens area have a long and often violent history of rivalry spanning basketball, soccer and other sports. The latest unrest comes despite recent government efforts to curb sports-related violence, including surveillance systems at stadiums and mandatory ticketing linked to state ID cards. Both Olympiacos and Panathinaikos competed in the EuroLeague Final Four in Abu Dhabi last month, finishing third and fourth, respectively. Fenerbahce defeated Monaco in the championship game. Sunday's game at Peace and Friendship Stadium was marred by multiple incidents. Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos was escorted out at halftime following a heated exchange with referees. Head coach Ergin Ataman was ejected in the fourth quarter after receiving a second technical foul. Television footage of the game showed security guards from the two teams coming to blows as Giannakopoulos walked out in a heated atmosphere. In a statement, Panathinaikos called the officiating 'disgraceful' and biased against them. Olympiacos co-chairman Giorgos Angelopoulos fired back, accusing Giannakopoulos of abusive behavior. 'The guy is toxic — he is the definition of violence,' Angelopoulos said. 'He cannot continue to be present in Greek sports and act this way.' 'No apology will be accepted,' he added. 'Let Panathinaikos fans celebrate him as a tough guy. We don't want people like that.' Panathinaikos had won Game 1 of the series 80-68 on Friday at the OAKA Arena in northern Athens.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Greek basketball finals suspended after rivalry again turns ugly
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece's government on Monday suspended the basketball league finals between Panathinaikos and Olympiacos following on-court scuffles involving rival security teams. Olympiacos won Sunday's game 91-83, leveling the best-of-five series at 1-1. The third game, scheduled for Wednesday, has been postponed. Advertisement The owners of both clubs were summoned to meet with the country's sports minister. '(They) will be asked to provide explicit guarantees that this situation will be brought to an end. If not, this year's championship will be definitively canceled,' government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said. 'There can be no tolerance for such pathological phenomena of violence and delinquency,' he added. The two clubs based in the Athens area have a long and often violent history of rivalry spanning basketball, soccer and other sports. The latest unrest comes despite recent government efforts to curb sports-related violence, including surveillance systems at stadiums and mandatory ticketing linked to state ID cards. Advertisement Both Olympiacos and Panathinaikos competed in the EuroLeague Final Four in Abu Dhabi last month, finishing third and fourth, respectively. Fenerbahce defeated Monaco in the championship game. Sunday's game at Peace and Friendship Stadium was marred by multiple incidents. Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos was escorted out at halftime following a heated exchange with referees. Head coach Ergin Ataman was ejected in the fourth quarter after receiving a second technical foul. Television footage of the game showed security guards from the two teams coming to blows as Giannakopoulos walked out in a heated atmosphere. In a statement, Panathinaikos called the officiating 'disgraceful' and biased against them. Olympiacos co-chairman Giorgos Angelopoulos fired back, accusing Giannakopoulos of abusive behavior. Advertisement 'The guy is toxic — he is the definition of violence,' Angelopoulos said. 'He cannot continue to be present in Greek sports and act this way.' 'No apology will be accepted,' he added. 'Let Panathinaikos fans celebrate him as a tough guy. We don't want people like that.' Panathinaikos had won Game 1 of the series 80-68 on Friday at the OAKA Arena in northern Athens.
CNA
18 hours ago
- Politics
- CNA
Greece postpones basketball finals game after courtside dispute
ATHENS :Greece's government on Monday postponed a basketball game between local rivals Olympiacos and Panathinaikos and threatened to cancel the national championship after tensions between team owners boiled over at a match on Sunday. Olympiacos basketball owners Panagiotis and George Aggelopoulos, and Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos clashed over the alleged use of obscene gestures and offensive chants by spectators. The sides were scheduled to play the third of five potential end-of-season games on Wednesday, but that game has been put on hold after Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis said the owners would appear in front of the deputy sports minister and promise that this behaviour will not be repeated. "Otherwise, this year's championship will be permanently suspended," Marinakis added. Olympiacos and Panathinaikos, two of Greece's biggest basketball clubs, recently played each other for third place in the EuroLeague finals in Abu Dhabi. Violence has plagued sport in Greece in recent years. Two young soccer fans were killed in 2023 and 2022, and a Greek court found a 20-year old man guilty of manslaughter over the 2023 death of a policeman hit by a flare during clashes with spectators at a volleyball game. Authorities have promised to crack down to tackle the issue.
