Stavros Kontonis

About 30 helmeted hooligans attacked the Athens restaurant where the draw for the Greek second division football league took place resulting in four injuries and damages to facilities, parked cars and media equipment.

One news photographer was taken to hospital with cuts and bruises late Monday while three others were treated by ambulance crews.

The global governing body of football, FIFA and its European branch UEFA have threatened Greece with expelling all its clubs and the Greek national football team from all international competitions, after a meeting between their representatives in Athens and Greek Deputy Minister for Sports Stavros Kontonis came to an impasse.

Greek athlete Emmanouil Karalis aged 16 broke the world record in indoor pole vault during a sports event held at Athens’ Peace and Friendship Stadium on Saturday, with 5.53 meters in his first attempt.

With his jump, Karalis topped the performance of Argentine pole vaulter Germán Chiaraviglio who achieved 5.51 meters in 2004.

The second half of the match between Levadiakos and Panathinaikos in Livadia, Viotia, was delayed by 25 minutes due to umpire Dimitropoulos’ refusal to continue the game after a huge banner was lifted by fans that was a scathing attack against Sports Minister Stavros Kontonis.

The new government sworn in today before the President of the Hellenic Republic, Prokopis Pavlopoulos. Some swore on the bible and others took a civil oath.

The Greek parliament on Thursday voted into law a controversial bill to curb violence in domestic sports after bowing to pressure for changes from soccer governing bodies UEFA and FIFA.

By Graham Wood

Greek soccer is set to breathe a sigh of relief as the country's controversial new sports law was submitted to parliament on Wednesday with the necessary amendments to avoid a FIFA and UEFA ban from international competition.

The Ministry of Culture, Education and Religion has submitted modifications to the draft bill on fighting violence in sports, voted in principle at the relevant Parliamentary committee on Tuesday night.

Call it a “strategic withdrawal”. The relevant minister on Monday said he won’t submit legislatiοn threatening the Greek football federation’s autonomy – something FIFA and UEFA directly warned would be lead to Greek teams’ exclusion from international play!

Greek deputy sports minister Stavros Kontonis said on Wednesday he does not accept ultimatums by world and European soccer's governing bodies FIFA and UEFA.

Kontonis made the comment on Mega television in response to a fax sent earlier on Wednesday jointly by FIFA and UEFA to the Greek soccer federation.