Government makes Greek fans buy tickets on their phones

In Greece, soccer enthusiasts will be required to utilize a government-operated digital identification app on their mobile phones for purchasing tickets when the security ban on supporters concludes next month.

This move is part of a broader crackdown on sports-related violence, leading soccer clubs to bar fans from stadiums for a two-month period until Feb. 12. The ban was imposed following a fatal incident in Athens last month, where a police officer was shot with a flare during a fan riot and succumbed to his injuries later in the hospital.

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Greek Sports Minister Yiannis Vroutsis is set to present the specifics of the new ticketing regulations to a parliamentary committee later on Monday. In a recent interview with state-run television, he outlined the reforms.

“Up until now, we have struggled to address the obvious: the identification of individuals entering a stadium. By utilizing a mobile phone, a person’s ID can be automatically verified against a ticket. Access to the stadium will be denied to those without a cell phone,” stated the minister.