This is a Big Shame - Essien

Ghana and Panathinaikos midfield dynamo Michael Essien has condemned violent clashes between fans and police during Saturday’s Greek league match between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos.

Panathinaikos fans attacked police with flares and missiles, which led to the postponement of the match.

Michael Essien, in an Instagram post, described the incident as a “big shame”.

The 2006 BBC African Player of the Year said football brings people together for peace and not violence.

“Anger doesn’t solve anything, it builds nothing but it destroys everything, so, anger is not the best solution to solve this problem. Let’s be united and make Greek football a better one.” he advised. According to reports, clashes between Panathinaikos fans and police started outside the venue about two hours before the game, when fans, without tickets, attempted to storm the gates and threw rocks at the police.

Referee Andreas Pappas waited half-an-hour beyond the scheduled kickoff time, but eventually decided that the conditions were unsafe and called off the game.

Clashes between the two clubs are considered one of the fiercest rivalries in world football.