Exclusive: Rangers set for ‘high-risk’ Panathinaikos tie as extra police expected
Rangers will work closely with UEFA and Police Scotland ahead of a Champions League qualification tie against Panathinaikos, according to Keith Hackett.
The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that the clash will be treated as “high-risk” given the Greek side’s notorious fan behaviour, with extra precautions being taken.
In 2023, all top-flight Greek football went behind closed doors for two months in an effort to clamp down on fan violence, with several more incidents occurring in the country since.
With away fans allowed back for the last Old Firm derby against Celtic, there were huge clashes between the rivals in the middle of Glasgow, even before the two sides met at Ibrox.
The Gers and Panathinaikos will both be hoping to avoid incidents in the city centre before and after kick-off, with the home side only being able to manage so much within the four walls of their own stadium.
Russell Martin to focus on Champions League qualification
Having reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League last season, the Light Blues will be keen to test themselves in the Champions League this time around, especially under new management.
Russell Martin has already added Thelo Aasgaard, Emmanuel Fernandez, Joe Rothwell, and Max Aarons to the squad, with the latter getting Todd Cantwell’s stamp of approval, and fans are excited.
There is no reason why the Gers cannot have a successful campaign under the former Southampton figure’s leadership, but there will be no room for off-pitch distractions against the Greek giants on Tuesday, 22 July.
Police Scotland to take action for Rangers v Panathinaikos
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former referee said: “I’m sure that Rangers, UEFA, and the police will all want this match to go without any major incidents, so I think it is likely we’ll see extra police.
“The problems do not always occur inside the stadium, so what happens in England when there is a game potentially at risk, the game is usually moved forward to avoid a huge consumption of alcohol.
“I have no doubt that extra police will be on duty, and they’ll be looking very closely at segregation of home and away fans, and I have no doubt that Rangers will be working with UEFA to allow the minimal amount of tickets available for the away team.
“They’ll then look at the positioning of fans inside the stadium. The club will be making every effort to ensure the game passes without incident, but outside the stadium is very difficult for them to control.
“I suspect that the risk is hot spots around the city. There will be a huge amount of planning going on. Everyone will be treating it as high risk.”