One of Europe's most infamous football derbies was abandoned this evening as Panathinaikos faced Olympiakos in Athens.
Referee Andreas Pappas delayed the kick-off by an hour before deciding conditions at the Apostolos Nikolaides stadium were unsafe.
AP reports that clashes began two hours before the scheduled kick-off time as some Panathinaikos fans, apparently without tickets, attempted to enter the stadium.
Olympiakos forward and Iceland international Alfred Finnbogason was hit by a flare, his tracksuit luckily preventing anything more than mild burns. Defender Luka Milivojevic was also injured.
The Olympiakos team left the grounds two hours after the referee's decision to cancel the fixture, as police made sure the streets were safe. No visiting fans were present - a common reality of a league suffering repeated instances of fan violence.
50 people were detained by police, and 16 were charged with a variety of offenses.
Panathinaikos will likely forfeit the game, and may face additional penalties including a points deduction and or fine.
Panathinaikos' fans throw flares as policemen and security personnel enter the pitch of Apostolos Nikolaides stadium (Yorgos Karahalis/AP)
Policemen detain a fan of Panathinaikos during clashes at the pitch of Apostolos Nikolaides stadium (Yorgos Karahalis/AP)
Policemen stand guard at the stands of Apostolos Nikolaides stadium (Yorgos Karahalis/AP)
Policemen stand guard at the pitch of Apostolos Nikolaides stadium (Yorgos Karahalis/AP)
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