“The delinquency in the sports arena, which has been evolving for years from simple beatings to crime, now to murders, has changed the characteristics of the evolving space as well” stressed the Deputy Minister of Sports Yannis Vroutsis speaking to ERT and the show “Syndeses”.
He added that “for a very long time we have been finding that incidents are no longer happening inside the stadiums, they are happening outside the stadium. But what we must see, focus our attention and know is that the matrix in which this unacceptable behavior is cultivated and such fan logic, hooligan logic is cultivated, has its matrix in the stadium. So our aim is now inside the stadium. Let’s clear up the landscape. Not to allow any offender to enter, to know each and every one who enters the stadium. No matter where he sits, we will know his identity and at the same time let him know that we know, that he is inside and at the same time that it is monitored by the cameras.
This will be a change in behavior, in operation and in what will evolve in the medium to long term.”
What did he say about the cameras?
Mr. Vroutsis continued by stating that “what is raised as a question is the implementation of what was announced.
And a question that spontaneously comes out why were they not done so long after they had been legislated? Spontaneous question that comes from everyone’s lips.
“So I answer directly: first, yes, throughout time there was the good intention, from previous ministers than me, to implement both the issue of cameras and the issue of identity. Unfortunately, the legislative framework that existed was very incomplete, not to say almost non-existent. There was no context within which to operate. That is, if we say that we are putting cameras in the stadiums and we do not specify what cameras we want, where they will see what they will see, who will control them and what the person who controls them will do, I think it is legislation in a vacuum. This existed in the past. From the first moment I took over I found this gap, when in my first decisions the security of sports venues, for the first time in the Ministry of Sports, was the highest priority.
“You saw that the first decision I made was with my signature that there should be a security issue in all sports venues. In other words, static qualification in combination with a fire safety license, something that did not exist, we are making it a reality. Now all sports facilities have safety as their first priority. Among them are the cameras. The legislative framework for cameras will not be a legislative intervention in a vacuum, nor an intervention that will leave loopholes. It will be an intervention, you will also see it when it is posted in the consultation, which has a specific frame of reference beginning, middle, end. So where will the cameras be, what technology will they be, what capabilities will the cameras have? Who will control them? the police. When will he check them? two days ago. What will the police officer do? will send to DEAB whether it is good or bad. Where will he send it? on an electronic platform, the DEAB, i.e. the Ministry of Sports, will answer for the match to take place. If we do not have the approval of the police, the match will take place, but behind closed doors. On match day what will happen? The police officer again police will check if the cameras are working or not. We will again have an impact on the team if the cameras don’t work. So this is all in one record that we have predicted almost everything so that it will work this time.”
At another point, he underlined that “this bill that I will bring to the Parliament is a bill that has a ministerial composition of the Minister of Justice, Mr. Floridis, the Minister of Digital Policy, Mr. Papastergiou and the Minister of Citizen Protection, Mr. / Economou. Together we have co-shaped the framework, we have agreed the support for the provisions of the bill, so it is completely agreed. Second, the subject of cameras does not require a lot of people.
“The issue of the cameras is an issue that concerns 14 matches that will take place on the day of the match and at the same time before to check the 14 stadiums of the Super League 1 teams. So there is no need for people from the issue police. But in the second issue, which is identity, there really was an issue which we are solving now and making it easier for the police and reducing the police forces and their presence in the stadiums. Here we come to break a Gordian bond with our intervention, with the determination of the government and the will of the prime minister himself to solve an issue that has been pending for decades.”
“The decision is one club per emblem”
The Deputy Minister of Sports asked about the issue of legislative intervention concerning the clubs “is an issue which is the reference of each club to a single emblem. That is, anything that moves outside the framework of the specific one that will start operating when it is voted in the Parliament will be illegal. That is, then the Ministry of Citizen Protection will be able to enter any club that has a sign outside with a specific name and close it and seal it.
So we will know that this decision is one club per emblem. So we legalize the clubs, we want the clubs. In the law, I describe the necessity for the clubs to exist, to have cultural goals and objectives, support for their team, social action, support for fans and their rights. But these clubs with their boards of directors for the first time, this is the innovation, will sit at the table indirectly recognizing an institutional role that they will have together with the Minister of Sports. I will invite them, they will create a federation, it will be a collective body, it will make decisions, they will discuss with the State and they will be represented in Europe. In Europe, you know, there is an institution that represents the clubs of all the European teams in which Greece does not participate. So here’s how you can get the clubs to be allies in an effort to deal with fan violence and not against you.”
What did he say about identity?
“Of course it has been announced for many years. 2015, Kontoni law, fan card. It has been 10 years from extension to extension for the fan card to be implemented. I found quite simply that the fan card is unusable. I recognize the good intentions of the then minister, but what he legislated could not be implemented. The issue of the electronic ticket was implemented, which we have today, it does not cover us, it is not enough for us. We want to know who is entering the field. Today technology helps. With the Digital Policy, the Ministry we are in direct cooperation and consultation. Very soon this identity will be realized because it gives us the power of
technology through the mobile itself. So when someone enters the stadium with a mobile phone in hand, they will be able to identify themselves, be identified together with their ticket, and we will solve a decades-old problem. We are here to confront what we say” he said about the issue of identity.
“We want families to come back to the field”
He underlined that “today and yesterday I announced some things in the Council of Ministers, always in consultation with the prime minister and the determination and will of the government to solve this problem. We will face the truth and reality, not in a long time, in the next two months. If these things materialize, however, you know that it will be a very positive step for Greek society and Greek sports. Because what is happening is not sport, it is beyond the bounds of sport. It poisons sport and its values.
We want families to return to the stadium, children with their parents to go to the stadium”.
Source: ERT
Source: Sport Fm
I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
