Greek Basketball Finals Suspended After Security Scuffles, Series Faces Cancellation

The Greek government has suspended the basketball league finals between longtime rivals Panathinaikos and Olympiacos following violent incidents during Game 2, including scuffles between rival security teams and heated exchanges involving team owners and officials. The best-of-five series, currently tied 1-1, had its third game postponed, and the owners of both clubs have been summoned to meet with government officials to provide guarantees that such violence will end or face cancellation of the championship. Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis emphasized that there will be zero tolerance for violence and delinquency in sports and that strict disciplinary measures and surveillance systems have been implemented to curb such behavior. Panathinaikos criticized the officiating as biased and disgraceful, while tensions between the team owners escalated over accusations of offensive behavior by spectators. The intense rivalry between these Athens-based teams, which recently competed in the EuroLeague Final Four, has a long history of violence across multiple sports, prompting authorities to threaten permanent suspension of the finals if peace is not assured. The outcome of the meeting between club owners and government officials will determine whether the championship can proceed safely or be abandoned entirely.