Calamos Supports Greece
GreekReporter.comGreek NewsCrimeGreek Sports Minister Oblivious to Culprits of Football Violence

Greek Sports Minister Oblivious to Culprits of Football Violence

EPEISODIA_631_355Deputy Sports Minister Stavros Kontonis has proved once again that in Greek politics, a Minister doesn’t necessarily need to have any idea of the portfolio he is getting.
Either that, or Mr. Kontonis lives onĀ another planet. A planet where football, and sports in general, don’t need to comply to international rules and regulations; where sports are not professional but are bound to noble ideas and the Olympic spirit; with a dash of Marxism for good measure.
After the violence that erupted on Wednesday’s Greek cup game between AEK and Olympiakos, Mr. Kontonis decided to do the wise thing and ban fans from Sunday’s Super League games. He stated that footballĀ games may be played behind closed doors until new sports legislation is tabled in parliament.
When asked why he allowed the AEK-Olympiakos game to be played with fans, he answered that the decision was for league games, not cup games. As if hooligans act according to the tournament played. In league games they act like animals but in games for the cup they behave like boy scouts.
The Greek Deputy believes that the new legislation he is about toĀ propose will put an end to violence. When he visited UEFA President Michel Platini on Monday to discuss footballĀ violence and ask for advise, he proposed some technical detailsĀ on the issue of the structure and function of the Hellenic FootballĀ Federation (EPO), the elections of local footballĀ federations and the appointment of disciplinary bodies. All that along with putting cameras in stadiums and enforcing the electronic ticket.
All the above proposals go against UEFA regulations that want footballĀ in each country to follow UEFA regulations and not state regulations. Kontonis, as a sports Don Quixote, said he made these proposals so that corruption will be eliminated and the Greek footballĀ becomes more democratic(!) He even threatened that he will go ahead and press for measures, even at the risk of having Greek clubs and the national team kicked out of European tournaments.
Like Quixote, the Greek Deputy wants to fight imaginary enemies. He wants to hunt footballĀ club owners as abettors, corrupt footballĀ officials, bribed referees, players involved in illegal betting.
To a certain extent, all the above are true, and they happen all over the world. However, they are not causes of violence. They are only excuses. In Greece, all the above are used as a defenseĀ line forĀ acts of violence committed. It boggles the mind to think that a hooligan who shoots at a player with a flare gun is justified because, say, the referee overlooked a penalty, or because it is alleged that a team owner sets up games for illegal betting.
And all that because on the issue of sports violence, the new Greek government, like all previous ones, is unable to see the forest for the trees. Or doesn’t want to, which would be even worse. For instance, last weekend alone, two footballĀ fans were seriously injured after a violent fight outside a fan club in Thessaloniki. Yet, Mr. Kontonis still believes that changing the way footballĀ federation officials are elected or fans buying tickets by presenting their IDs will be steps to end violence(!)
In the past, a fan was stabbed to death before a women’s volleyball game. Or, a few months ago, a fan was beaten to death in a third division game. Will Mr. Kontonis put an end to all that by changing the way the disciplinary bodies of the Greek footballĀ federation are elected?
Platini, who has the privilege of living in the real world, stated the obvious: Why don’t you arrest hooligans and kick them out of footballĀ stadiums forever?
Kontonis pretended that he didn’t hear. Again, it boggles the mind that Greek politicians are so good at overlooking the obvious.

See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!



Related Posts