Referees in Greece have announced that they will not officiate any Super League matches from the weekend in protest against dangerous working conditions.
Greek football has recently been plagued by allegations of corruption and match-fixing, which have fueled discontent and led to declining attendance.
Referees are often the target of violent attacks by fans. Some have even had their homes and vehicles set on fire. Last month, a Molotov cocktail was thrown at the shop of referee Andreas Gamaris in Athens.
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Another referee, Tasos Papapetrou, had allegedly received death threats days earlier for officiating a Super League match.
“In recent years, Greek and foreign referees have become punching bags and scapegoats,” the Super League referees wrote in a letter sent to the Central Referees Committee and the Greek Football Federation on Tuesday.
The letter also emphasized that bullying of referees goes unpunished:
Bullying, threats, verbal and physical attacks that go unpunished are just some of the issues that poison football.
In previous seasons, the Super League has also brought in foreign referees to ensure the continuation of matches in the top division.
However, the letter also showed that those referees feared for their own safety.
The referees said they would not return to the matches until safe conditions were in place:
As a result, Super League referees and assistant referees have decided not to officiate any matches from matchday 14 (weekend) onwards, until conditions are safe.
The referees have also requested a meeting with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
“With this action we aim to protect ourselves and our families,” the letter reads.
