The Greek Cup final between AEK Athens and PAOK will be held in the central Greek city of Volos next month, with a limited number of spectators by invitation only.
According to AP News, the decision to limit spectators comes due to a fear of fan violence. Professional Greek soccer has been plagued by fan violence for decades — including at last year’s cup final.
“This issue has troubled us a lot… The cup final should be a celebration of football,” Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) deputy director, Stergios Antoniou, said on Tuesday.
Earlier this month, the EPO announced that the May 20 Greek Cup final would be held in Cyprus, but the island’s law enforcement rejected the request, saying they did not have the capacity to ensure the safety of spectators.
Greek federation officials said they had also approached associations in England, Germany, and Australia to seek venues for the final.
The Greek Herald first reported that the EPO had submitted a request to the Australian Football Federation to host the Greek Cup final in Australia this May. The president of EPO, Takis Baltakos, had sent a formal document to Chris Nikos, his counterpart in Oceania.
Source: AP News
