This archive report was first published on 24 December 2019.
On December 23, 2019, Greek Super League referees announced they would be going on strike, bringing forward their action by a week to January 4-5, in response to a recent assault on one of their number.
The attack, which occurred on Sunday, involved hooligans armed with firecrackers targeting the home of a match official who had overseen the Volos-Olympiakos scoreless draw.
The Greek football federation strongly condemned the attack, describing it as a 'new, mafia-type attack on a Super League referee.'
Olympiakos, the club involved in the match, had previously protested about 'bad officiating' and filed a lawsuit against the five referees, accusing them of bribery.
The club also sent protest letters to Uefa and Fifa, claiming a 'deliberate and surgically precise alteration of the outcome of a match in which VAR was used.'
The Greek federation has suspended the five officials pending the outcome of their investigation.
The referees association had initially called their strike for January 11-12 to protest the 'lack of respect' for their job, citing bullying, negative comments from club representatives, and lawsuits against them for their decisions on the pitch.
They will officiate the next round of matches on December 21-23 before beginning their indefinite strike.
