Greek club Irodotos get heavy punishment after fan death

ATHENS, (Reuters) – Greek third division team Irodotos have been docked 15 points and ordered to play 10 matches behind closed doors following the death of an Ethnikos Piraeus supporter, the Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) said yesterday.

In one of the heaviest punishments handed out in Greek soccer, the Cretan club were also banned from all transfer activity until the end of the season and fined 2,500 euros ($3,200).

Ethnikos fan Kostas Katsoulis, 46, suffered serious head injuries during clashes between fans at the Football League 2 match between Irodotos and Ethnikos on Sept. 15 in Crete.

He died on Sept. 29 after attempts to bring him out of a coma failed.

Before yesterday’s decision Irodotos were sixth in the 14-team Group D table with seven points from four matches.

Greece’s top flight Super League matches were suspended for the first week of October by the government, along with all other team sports in Greece, as a mark of respect following the death of Katsoulis.

 

($1 = 0.7898 Euros) (Editing by Ken Ferris)