The Greek Cup final prematurely ended in chaos when celebratory AEK Athens fans invaded the pitch, fought with Atromitos players and abused their supporters, and damaged cameras of state broadcaster NET on Saturday.
Referee Tassos Kakos was forced to blow the whistle just a minute into a nine-minute injury time after hundreds of AEK fans invaded the pitch. Many rushed to celebrate with their players, but others headed toward the VIP stands where family members and friends of the Atromitos players were seated, throwing projectiles at them.
Atromitos coach Giorgos Donis asserted that some aimed pistols at the VIP spectators.
''I've never seen this in a game, ever, players having to fight to save their families ... they were pointing pistols at them,'' Donis said.
Atromitos players rushed to defend their kin and friends and exchanged blows with the AEK fans before riot police intervened, swinging clubs and throwing tear gas.
AEK led Atromitos 3-0 thanks to goals from Nikos Lyberopoulos in the 29th minute, Nabil Baha in the 78th and Pantelis Kafes in the 84th. Lyberopoulos scored the opener with a header from a clear offside position.
At first, it appeared the final was suspended and Atromitos officials insisted the remaining minutes of injury time be played. After half an hour of negotiations, Greek football league officials, in fear of the mob that had invaded the pitch, agreed to stage a parody of a winning ceremony which Atromitos players agreed to attend.
Any thoughts of resuming the final were cast aside by the fact that the celebrating fans had torn down the nets and filled the pitch with advertising billboards and broken chairs.
Atromitos officials and players were livid.
''This game has set Greek football back over a hundred years,'' said Atromitos president Giorgos Spanos, just seconds after a shouting match with his AEK counterpart Stavros Adamidis. ''I'm sad because this great club (AEK) is led by such little people.''
Atromitos midfielder Andreas Tatos added, ''It was a night of shame for football.''
AEK coach Manolo Jimenez said he was happy with his first title and congratulated Atromitos ''for a great season.''
AEK captain Kafes said he was ''sad'' about the incidents, but he and his fellow scorers did everything they could to inflame the fans, throwing their jerseys at them and taking several seconds to celebrate with fans who had rushed down from the stands after each goal.
Greek TV also reported pre-game clashes away from the stadium between AEK fans and those from crosstown rival Panathinaikos.
The win gave AEK its 14th Cup title and first since 2002. Atromitos was looking for its first title ever.
AEK will play in the Europa League's playoff round next season, pending any UEFA review of Saturday's incidents.
Two more Europa League places will be up for grabs between Panathinaikos, PAOK and Volos who finished second, fourth and fifth in the Greek league. Third-place AEK was to take part in the home-and-away playoff series starting on May 8, but its participation was now moot.
