The Greek Prime Minister, Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has reshuffled his cabinet following repeated incidents of hooliganism at sporting events. Giannis Oikonomou, Minister of Civil Protection since last June, was the main victim.

The renovation of the conservative prime minister's cabinet was announced by government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis on state broadcaster Ert, according to the AFP news agency.

Giannis Oikonomou, who has been Civil Protection Minister since the re-election of Mitsotakis' New Democracy party in June, was replaced by health minister Michalis Chryssohoidis. Oikonomou's sacking comes after a 31-year-old police officer died last week from injuries sustained when he was hit by a flare thrown by an 18-year-old, now in custody, during clashes between Olympiakos ultras and police near the Rendi municipal stadium near Athens during a volleyball match on 7 December.

The torch thrown by the hooligan struck hit the policeman in the left leg, rupturing an artery. In hospital, doctors induced a coma and amputated the leg, but despite efforts to keep him alive, the young man died on Wednesday at Nikea hospital, south of Athens.

This is not the only death to tarnish Hellenic sport. Four months ago, a 29-year-old Greek man was fatally stabbed during fights before a football match between Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb and AEK Athens. There were also 98 arrests and eight injuries in the run-up to the match, which led to the suspension of the UEFA Champions League qualifier. 

While the majority of those arrested were foreigners - the police arrested 98 people, including 92 Croats, one Austrian, one Bosnian, one Albanian, one German and only two Greeks - the responsibility for prevention, deterrence, and subsequent detention on Greek soil lies squarely with the Greek government. 

The escalation of violence shows no mercy in Greece and led to the resignation of the president of the Greek football league, Vangelis Marinakis, on 12 December. The central government also announced various measures to curb fan violence, including a decision to play football matches 'behind closed doors' until at least 12 February 2024.