West Ham’s next Europa League opponents Olympiakos had to abandon their most recent match due to a security alert in their stadium. How it will impact the Hammers next match is unclear, but the Greek side are set to face a stiff punishment.
The Greek Super League showdown pitting Olympiacos against Panathinaikos took a chaotic turn when the game had to be abandoned due to a player being struck by a firework.
This matchup, often referred to as “Europe’s craziest derby,” stood at 1-1 when Panathinaikos sent their substitutes along the touchline for a warm-up session.
Hammers next match just got scarier as Olympiakos had to have their game abandoned.
However, the Spanish player Juankar from Panathinaikos was struck by a firework hurled from the crowd. The club’s official social media account reported this incident, stating, “A firecracker landed near our warming-up players, causing injury to Juankar.”
A subsequent update from Panathinaikos seemed to indicate that their squad was hesitant to exit the dressing room.
Olympiakos have a history for pyrotechnics going off in the crowd. It’s one of the elements that makes such away days and intimidating atmosphere for traveling clubs.
The match was eventually officially abandoned, as announced by Panathinaikos on their social media channels. According to news reports from Greece, they were demanding that Juankar be taken to the hospital for further medical checks while the referee was attempting to persuade them to resume the match.
West Ham will be hoping that security is beefed-up ahead of Thursday nights encounter at the same venue. Following last season’s troubles away in the Europa Conference League, fans, players and their families will be seeking assurances about their safety.