Greece temporarily bans fans from top-flight soccer matches

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All top-flight soccer matches in Greece will be played without fans in the stadiums for the next two months, in the latest crackdown on supporter violence following a sport-related riot last week that left a police officer with life-threatening injuries.

The government said Monday that it would introduce emergency legislation to make the ban on supporters effective immediately. It will end on Feb. 12 with a possible extension to follow.

This past weekend's professional soccer matches were postponed following a series of violent incidents at matches and last week's riot that occurred outside a volleyball game believed to be led by organized soccer fan groups.

CYPRUS TO CRACK DOWN ON FAN VIOLENCE AT SPORTING EVENTS

The 31-year-old police officer who was injured in the clashes remains hospitalized in a coma after being hit in the left leg by a flare, causing extensive bleeding and cardiac arrest.

"This murderous attack against a policeman is not the first incident of extreme fan violence in recent years. Criminals in the guise of sports fans are committing serious offenses, seriously injuring and killing people," government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis told reporters.

Riot police detain fans outside the Melina Merkouri indoor stadium in Athens on Dec. 8, 2023. (Yorgos Matthaios/Eurokinissi Sports via AP)

He said all 14 clubs competing in the top-flight Super League will have to install surveillance cameras inside stadiums and use personalized ticketing systems that require the holder to show identification upon entry before being allowed to admit supporters.

The security systems, including a network of high-resolution surveillance cameras