ALL top-flight football matches in Greece will be played without fans in the stadiums for the next two months, in the latest crackdown on supporter violence following a sports-related riot last week that left a police officer with life-threatening injuries.

The government said today that it would introduce emergency legislation to make the ban on supporters effective immediately. It will end on February 12 with a possible extension to follow.

This past weekend’s professional football matches were postponed following a series of violent incidents at matches, and last week’s riot that occurred outside a volleyball game believed to be led by organised football fan groups.