(ANSA) – BOLOGNA, MAY 28 – Around 6,000 Greek policemen are mobilized for the Conference final which tomorrow evening, at the Agia Sofia stadium, home of AEK Athens, will see Fiorentina and Olympiacos face off. The stadium area, in the northern neighborhood of Philadelphia, is already heavily policed, some streets have been closed, others will be closed tomorrow. The Greek police are concerned not only by the approximately 10,000 Viola fans who have already begun to reach Athens, but also by the relationships between the fans of the Athenian teams. In Greece, the issue of violence related to sport is quite complicated, so much so that away games have even been banned for about ten years. In fact, Olympiacos will play the final in the brand new stadium of their rivals Aek Athens, but, due to provisions of the authorities, it will not be possible to enter with colors other than the purple and red and white of Olympiacos.
There are fears of clashes and ambushes in the area surrounding the stadium, which, moreover, could also be infiltrated by the ultras of Panathinaikos, another Athenian team, whose fans, just yesterday, welcomed the basketball team that won the Euroleague in Berlin at the end of a final four to which Olympiacos also qualified. The two Athenian fans were involved in fierce clashes, with injuries, in Germany. A combination of factors, in short, which meant that security measures were raised to the maximum possible. (HANDLE).