Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on November 5, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
The trial of Olympiacos FC chairman and fans over sports violence begins in Greece, involving 142 fans and highlighting UEFA's concerns about hooliganism.
By Renee Maltezou
ATHENS (Reuters) -The trial of Greece's Olympiacos football club chairman Evangelos Marinakis and dozens of soccer fans began in Greece on Wednesday, the biggest case of its kind linked to sports-related violence that authorities have vowed to crack down on.
In total, 142 fans face charges of running a crime organisation and causing life-threatening explosions at sporting events. They have denied wrongdoing.
Marinakis, a shipping and media tycoon who also owns English Premier League club Nottingham Forest, and another four board members are accused of supporting the alleged criminal group in 2019-2024 and instigating violence with statements against authorities. They have dismissed the misdemeanour charges as groundless.
Marinakis was not present in the packed courtroom at Athens' high-security Korydallos prison on Wednesday and was represented by his lawyer. Masked police officers guarded a few defendants still in detention.
More than 210 people will testify before the three-member bench during the trial, which lawyers estimate could last more than a year.
Violence has plagued sport in Greece in recent years. Hardcore supporters, following the same club across different sports, frequently clash with police outside stadiums and with rival fans in arranged street brawls. Hooliganism is also a major concern for European soccer governing body UEFA.
The probe was launched after the 2023 fatal injury of 31-year-old riot police officer George Lyngeridis in clashes outside a women's volleyball match between Olympiacos and Panathinaikos, a normally low-risk game.
Before that match, some of the fans moved a bag of flares and makeshift explosives from a storage room at their soccer stadium to the volleyball venue, the probe found. Lyngeridis was hit by a flare during the clashes and died from his injuries weeks later.
It was Greece's third fatality in sports violence in 2022-2023 and prompted the top court prosecutor to urge a clampdown on criminal gangs linked with sports.
(Reporting by Renee Maltezou;Editing by Christian Radnedge)
Sports violence refers to aggressive behavior that occurs during or around sporting events, often involving fans or players. It can include physical altercations, vandalism, and other forms of misconduct that disrupt the event.
A crime organization is a structured group engaged in illegal activities, often for profit. These organizations can operate in various sectors, including drug trafficking, human trafficking, and organized sports violence.
A misdemeanor is a type of criminal offense that is less severe than a felony. Misdemeanors typically result in less severe penalties, such as fines or short-term imprisonment.
A trial is a legal proceeding in which a case is presented before a judge or jury. It involves the examination of evidence and arguments from both sides to determine the outcome of a legal dispute.
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