ATHENS, Jan 10 (AFP) - Greek sports undersecretary Giorgos Orfanos said on Monday hooliganism such as that which occurred Sunday forcing the postponement of the first division match between Panionios and Olympiakos will not be tolerated in the future.
"We don't need those who destroy. Let it be known that the community and the state will reject them. We will bring to the matches those who love the sport," Orfanos said.
Some 600 fans invaded the pitch before the start of the match at the Panionios Stadium in the Athens suburb of Nea Smyrni and fought each other and the few police available.
The incidents began when Olympiakos supporters who had not succeeded in getting tickets for the match suddenly broke through a barrier and entered the stands and the pitch.
One Panionios fan was seriously hurt with head wounds and taken to the hospital and dozens others were treated at the stadium's first aid station.
Police said 14 officers were injured in the melee when fans threw stones, broken plastic chairs and other debris at them. One of the officers had to be hospitalized.
Only two arrests were made.
The two teams and the referee waited for things to calm down but one hour later the match was postponed and is to be played at a later date probably behind closed doors.
Chief Athens Prosecutor Dimitris Papangelopoulos has ordered a preliminary investigation into Sunday's violent incidents, the worst this season.
The Greek government condemned the incidents and spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos said that justice had already swung into action.
He stressed that the government has introduced measures to combat football violence that have brought results.
"Those responsible for the violence will be found and punished. The law will be put into effect in the strictest form," said Alternate Culture Minister Fani Palli-Petralia whose ministry oversees sports in the country.
She said Greece will not allow this incident to mar the "golden summer" of last year when the national team won the Euro 2004 title and the country hosted successful Olympics and Paralympics.
"The days of hooliganism are over," Palli-Petralia said. "We will not allow such incidents to present a different picture abroad than the one we had this past summer."
Violence on and off the pitch has plagued Greek football for years and a number of measures taken by previous governments have failed to put a halt to the phenomena.
The Professional Football Players Association of Greece in a statement Monday said that those who love the sport do not want such a championship filled with violence.
"Either you round up all those troublemakers or play football by yourselves," the association warned state authorities.
01/10/2005 20:28 GMT - AFP