Greek football championship season to be completed without spectators due to hooligan violence

Greece's football championship season this spring will be completed without spectators in a bid to put an end to hooligan violence following a long string of violence incidents this year, the country's Sports Ministry decided.

The games of the Super League were conducted behind closed doors this weekend and this will be the rule until the end of the season, the ministry announced.

The decision was made after one more match between two big football clubs in Athens last week was interrupted by violent clashes which broke out among fans.

Last weekend a young fan was severely injured during clashes outside the offices of a fan club in the northern city of Thessaloniki.

The championship was suspended twice over the past month after several similar incidents occurred inside stadiums.

In autumn a football fan lost his life after scuffles between fans during a third division game on the island of Crete and a few weeks later a referee official was injured in an assault.

Greek sports, in particular football, have suffered from hooligan violence for years, but the problem seems to have intensified in recent months. Endit