Greek soccer fans barge into Acropolis to mark league win

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Fans of the Greek soccer team Olympiakos forced their way into the grounds of the ancient Acropolis in Athens Wednesday during celebrations for winning this year’s championship.

The Culture Ministry said around 500 fans were involved in the incident, remaining among the site's 2,500-year-old marble temples for about 15 minutes but causing no damage to the monuments.

“The staff at the Acropolis reacted calmly. They contacted the police and tried to keep them outside the area but the number of fans was overwhelming,” the ministry said.

No injuries or arrests were reported, and the ministry statement said the site suffered no damage.

Olympiakos fans celebrated their 46th Greek title, the second won without fans allowed to attend matches due to the pandemic. The team, based at the Greek capital's port of Piraeus, played its last home game Wednesday at Giorgios Karaiskakis stadium.

The ministry said the fans tried to justify their invasion arguing that supporters of cross-town rivals Panathinaikos had pulled off a similar stunt five years ago.