Athens: The operator of Athens' Telekom Center accused EuroLeague on Saturday of major organizational and security failures during the Final Four semifinal between Olympiacos and Fenerbahce Beko.
According to Anadolu Agency, the arena management posted a statement on Instagram claiming that 'thousands of people' entered the venue without tickets or identity checks, attributing this to negligence by EuroLeague organizers. The statement highlighted that incorrect information related to the tournament was provided to venue officials, leading to uncontrolled crowd entry despite objections from security personnel.
The statement elaborated that people were allowed to enter uncontrollably for hours, which was described as 'a clear violation of the law.' Arena officials reported major delays in distributing tickets to spectators, with some fans still waiting to receive their tickets after the gates had already opened. Others who had paid for seats reportedly never received access credentials.
The statement indicated that EuroLeague's security director responded to technical problems by instructing staff to allow individuals without valid tickets to pass through turnstiles. The venue operator claimed that entire groups entered the arena without any checks or identity verification, and some tickets issued by EuroLeague did not correspond to seat or row numbers.
Additionally, the statement noted that accreditation passes were not properly distributed, leaving even the head of the private security company without accreditation and preventing personnel from operating effectively. The overcrowding, blocked stairways, and packed emergency exits were highlighted as serious safety risks that could have led to a disaster in the event of an emergency evacuation.
Security personnel reportedly struggled to keep corridors open or carry out bag inspections, with some objects brought from outside left unattended in hallways, creating potential security threats. The arena management urged EuroLeague to prevent similar incidents from occurring in Sunday's final and insisted that organizers must guarantee compliance with legal and security obligations.