Greek Super League match abandoned after player hit by firework

A Greek Super League match between rivals Panathinaikos and Olympiakos had to be abandoned on Sunday after a player was hit by a firework.

Panathinaikos left back Juan ‘Juankar’ Carlos was warming up on the touchline shortly after halftime when he was struck by the firework and had to be carried off the pitch on a stretcher.

The game, which was being played at Olympiakos’ home stadium, was called off at 1-1.

“The derby … was not completed as there was an interruption in the 50th minute due to an injury to Juankar,” Panathinaikos said in a statement.

“A firecracker was launched from the home team’s stand and exploded at the spot where the (Panathinaikos) football players were warming up. Juankar fell to the ground in a daze, while he also had a problem with his hearing.

“The game did not restart and the referee closed the match sheet in a match whose fate will be decided in the courts…”

The Greek Super League and the Greek Football Federation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Games between the two sides in the Athens derby have often been marred by violence and crowd trouble.

In 2019, a Panathinaikos home match against Olympiakos was abandoned after their fans attacked players on the visiting team’s bench and clashed with police.

Four years before that, a game was called off before the start following violence in and around the stadium and after flares had been thrown on to the pitch.