Lengthy ban for Filippidis

The Greek Sports Court today banned Panathinaikos FC president Angelos Filippidis from undertaking the role for a year and barred him from attending matches for 18 months for his part in the unsavoury incidents that marred the end of the recent drawn Athens derby with Olympiakos Piraeus FC.

Last-minute penalty
The dispute erupted after referee Ioakim Efthymiadis awarded a 93rd-minute penalty to Olympiakos in the 24 March fixture which allowed the visiting team to equalise and salvage a 1-1 draw. Moments after blowing the final whistle, Efthymiadis was surrounded by irate Panathinaikos fans and officials, including Filippidis and coach Sergio Markarian. Efthymiadis's face was subsequently bloodied as blows rained down on him and he had to be led from the field requiring medical attention.

President rebuked
The Greek police immediately launched an enquiry which culminated in today's hearing. The Greek Sports Court, appointed by the Greek Football Federation (EPO) but independent from it, fined the club €87,000 and ordered them to play four league matches behind closed doors but it was the Panathinaikos president whose punishment was the most severe.

Ban for Markarian
Filippidis was banned for six months for invading the pitch at the end of the game and the same for post-match comments which included asking the government to step in and abandon the championship. Markarian, who threatened to resign in the aftermath of the game but was on the bench to guide Panathinaikos to a 1-0 UEFA Champions League quarter-final first-leg victory over FC Barcelona last night, has been barred from entering any stadium for 40 days. The Uruguayan's assistant, Gabriel Molnar, and physiotherapist Christos Karvounidis were acquitted of all charges.

Economopoulos in charge
Former Panathinaikos player Takis Economopoulos, who was promoted from goalkeeping coach to work directly alongside Markarian following his appointment in December, is expected to be responsible for the first team during the four remaining matches of the season in Markarian's absence.

Ionikos visit
The Apostolos Nikolaidis stadium will not be closed for Saturday's visit of Ionikos but will be shut for Panathinaikos' final home game of the season against Xanthi FC on 21 April. The club must also play their first three home games of the 2002/03 campaign without the backing of their passionate support in order to serve the entirety of the four-match ban.

Olympiakos also fined
Olympiakos, a point behind leaders AEK Athens and five ahead of Panathinaikos in the Greek title race, were fined €33,000 for their part in the mêlée. Anastasios Mitropoulos, the club's assistant coach, was fined €3,000 and banned from entering any stadia for six months after he made inappropriate remarks about Filippidis after the heated match.