Olympiacos-Panathinaikos abandoned after player hit by firework

The Greek Super League match between rivals Olympiacos and Panathinaikos was abandoned on Sunday after a player was hit by fireworks while warming up at the side of the pitch.

Panathinaikos’ Spanish defender Juankar was hit by fireworks five minutes into the second half, with the match tied at 1-1.

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (US)

The match was initially suspended while Juankar received medical treatment before being taken away on a medical trolley.

The match between two of Greece’s biggest teams has a reputation for violence on and off the pitch.

The match was abandoned in 2019 after Panathinaikos fans attacked players on the Olympiacos team bench and clashed with police outside the OAKA stadium. Olympiacos went on to win.

During Sunday’s match, both teams returned to their respective dressing rooms after Juankar was hit by the fireworks and play was suspended for about an hour.

The decision to abandon the match was communicated to the crowd inside Olympiacos’ Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium around 9:30 p.m. local time, more than three hours after play was suspended.

After the announcement of the abandonment of the match, the official X account (formerly Twitter) of Panathinaikos job: “The referee has closed the score sheet and the fate of the match will be decided in court…”

No decision on the outcome of the match has yet been communicated by the Greek Football Federation.