The Greek government has shut down all sports team fan clubs until July 31 as part of its measures to end fan violence, Greek Deputy Sports Minister Lefteris Avgenakis confirmed Monday.
The policies come three weeks after the fatal stabbing of a 19-year-old fan in the northern city of Thessaloniki in an attack by alleged hooligans that also left two of his friends injured.
At least 12 people have been arrested over the attack and await trial.
Avgenakis said that strict conditions will apply for licensing and operation of the clubs and that each team will be able to have only one recognized club instead of the dozens which operate today.
"The membership register of the clubs will be digital and will be updated every summer, while the club license will be revoked if at least two members are prosecuted for crimes related to fan violence," Avgenakis said.
"The suspension of the clubs will be in force until they receive a new license based on new rules and regulations. A reasonable transitional period is ensured until the licensing of the clubs is allowed again," Avgenakis said.
Another measure announced was the sentence for crimes of fan violence to increase from six months to five years.
"Hooliganism is a global scourge, a sad pandemic that has killed dozens of people. We must unite all our forces, government, political parties, teams. No one has the right to miss the invitation against violence," civil protection minister Takis Theodorikakos said.
He said in the past two weeks 67 sports fan clubs have been shut down across the country, with 17 arrests made for possession of deadly weapons.
Justice minister Kostas Tsiaras said the government's legislative initiatives aim to "close all the windows within the existing legal framework."
