A Greek tragedy

Greece’s economic NEIL COTTON reports on how football hard mayhem has also hit the country’s

AS THE Greek debt crisis continues to be played out to high drama with a host of international leaders and the world’s media watching, one question which often escapes notice is just what impact the crisis has had on the nation’s football scene.

Just over a decade ago Greek football was on a high. In 2004 the national side pulled off what has been described as one of the biggest shocks in football history to triumph at the European Championships, defeating Portugal 1-0 in the final, while in the domestic arena attendances at matches were on an upward trajectory, helped, in part, by the formation of the Super League in 2006.

The financial crisis, however, appears to have erased all traces of this progress. Unsurprisingly, attending football matches seems to be low on the list of many people’s priorities.

Figures from the website European Football Statistics show that, on average, Super League attendances have plummeted from their recent peak of around 7,600 in 2008-09 to around 3,100 for the 2014-15 season.

Another reason for the decline is the fall from grace of one of Greece’s top sides, AEK Athens. In a parallel to the nation’s economic situation, AEK were brought low by finances.

With the club reportedly owing some 170 million euros in taxes, they were forced to sell off a large part of their first team just to gain a licence to compete in the top flight at the start of the 2012-13 season.

This, however, only provided a temporary reprieve and AEK finished that season in second to last position, ending their top-tier status. Declaring bankruptcy, the club then elected to start afresh in the third tier for 2013-14. AEK have, though, since rallied and, having just claimed the second tier title, have managed a swift return to the Super League. Off the field, the club are also advancing with plans for the Agia Sophia, a new ground with a capacity of 32,000–34,000.

Whilst the reappearance of the well-supported AEK in