GREECE’S iconic Olympic Stadium has been forced to shut down over grave safety concerns.
The Olympic Athletic Center of Athens (OAKA) is the country’s biggest sporting complex and hosted the 2004 Olympic Games as well as the Champions League final in 1983, 1994 and 2007.
The ground – named after famous 1896 Olympic hero Spiros Louis – holds a capacity of 70,000 and makes it larger than every Premier League stadium bar Manchester United’s Old Trafford and Wembley.
However, the government decided to close it until further notice due to concerns over the stability of its steel dome.
All events, including concerts, have been halted indefinitely as the stadium’s roof – as well as that of the cycling track nearby – “did not meet the legally permitted levels of static adequacy”.
According to journalist Tasos Telloglou, authorities lost a manual with detailed instructions regarding the dome’s maintenance left behind by architect Santiago Calatrava – who built the landmark in 2004.
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Greek media showed images of the stadium’s crumbling state and claim OAKA had to shut down due to security concerns for fans in attendance.
According to ERT, prosecutors have already launched a preliminary investigation covering the last five years.
The government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has faced criticism after promising to revamp it in 2021.
Sports Minister Yiannis Vroutsis admitted the decision to shut the facilities down was “painful”.
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Vroutsis added that the government is actively looking for the best solution to resolve the issue, but experts fear it will take a long time until OAKA reopens its doors.
Panathinaikos used the stadium until very recently but had to move back to Leoforos Alexandras and their historic Apostolos Nikolaidis ground.
In fact, the Greek giants faced Villarreal in a Europa League clash less than two weeks ago and won 2-1 before heading back to Leoforos.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
