Greek finals suspended after rivalry turns ugly again

The Greek basketball league finals between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos were suspended by the government on Monday following on-court scuffles involving rival security teams.

The best-of-five series is at 1-1. The third game, scheduled for today, 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.” In online posts, the owners of Panathinaikos and Olympiakos ruled out attending a joint meeting with the sports minister, leaving the fate of the government ultimatum in doubt. The clubs based in the Athens area have a long and often violent 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.

Olympiakos 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 won by Olympiakos and marred by multiple incidents. Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos was escorted out at halftime following a heated exchange with referees. Coach Ergin Ataman was ejected in the fourth quarter after receiving a second technical foul. Television footage of the game showed security guards from both teams coming to blows as Giannakopoulos walked out in a heated atmosphere.

In a statement, Panathinaikos called the officiating “disgraceful” and biased.

Olympiakos 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.” MDT/AP