“Petrol bombs, flares, firecrackers and fights. And that’s just on the pitch. Welcome to derby day in Athens, where recent meetings between Olympiakos and Panathinaikos have also seen fans start fires in the stands and attempt to torch the team coach of their fierce rivals,” begins a recent BBC report on the “derby of hatred.” BBC writer Neil Johnston says that in a March game between the two teams, Panathinaikos coach Yiannis Anastasiou was “sprawled on the touchline” after he was hit by an object thrown from the stands. He also mentions a March 2007 clash between Olympiakos and Panathinaikos fans that ended with the fatal stabbing of a “Green.” The article features historical details about the two clubs and a brief recap of the violent incidents in the stands and outside the stadiums. Johnston quotes British Panathinaikos goalie Luke Steele, a summertime transfer to the club: “My debut was a cup tie away to a team called Olympiakos Volos, a club based well away from Athens. It was hostile; there were lots of flares. I flinched when the first firecracker landed near me but you soon get used to it. It’s more than football to the fans, it’s almost like a religion. But I’m ready for it.” The writer also quotes Greek journalist Panos Polyzoides, who talks about the “clear hatred when Panathinaikos and Olympiakos meet” be it in “football, basketball, volleyball or even water polo.” Polyzoides also mentions the recent fatal beating of a football fan in a Third Division game with just 200 spectators in the stands. With Olympiakos coming off an impressive Champions League win over Italian stronghold Juventus on Wednesday, the Piraeus club fans are expecting an equally big win over their hated Athens rival. In fact, after the victorious Champions League game, fans across Karaiskakis stadium voiced their demand for smashing the Greens. They also demanded revenge for last season’s loss to Panathinaikos on their home turf.
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