Kalamata FC has told supporters it will not sell tickets to Panathinaikos fans for their upcoming Stoiximan Super League matchday 5 fixture, which is being played in Nikaia rather than at Kalamata's own ground, because of conditions written into a contract with the local municipality.
In a statement, the club said the decision was not its own preference but was required under the agreement it has signed with the Municipality of Nikaia-Agios Ioannis Rentis to use the stadium there.
Kalamata is currently playing its home matches at the Neapoli stadium while work is carried out on its own ground, known as the Paralia stadium. The club described this as a forced, temporary situation that will last until the Paralia venue is available again.
Contract with the municipality
The club said it had informed both Panathinaikos and AEL at a meeting that it would not be able to allocate a stand to away supporters for matches played at Neapoli. It stressed this was not a choice it had made freely.
According to Kalamata, the contract it signed with the Municipality of Nikaia-Agios Ioannis Rentis sets specific operating terms for the stadium that do not permit the presence of away fans, and the club said it was obliged to fully respect that contractual commitment.
The club said the restriction had nothing to do with its attitude toward the supporters of any particular team and was purely a contractual obligation tied to the use of the venue.
Club says it welcomes rival fans
Kalamata said it wanted supporters of every club inside the stadium and that this was the kind of football it believed in and wanted to be part of. The club, nicknamed the Black Storm, said it had a long-standing policy of accommodating the ticket requests of visiting opponents, and pointed out that it had never turned down such a request in the past.
The club added that it respected fans regardless of which team or colours they supported. It said it had no reason to exclude any supporters and would want to host travelling fans in an organised and safe way if it had the means to do so at Neapoli.
What comes next
Kalamata said it wanted fans in the stadium whichever team they followed, adding that only the 90 minutes of the match separated rival supporters. The club said the wish of everyone involved, and above all of its owner and majority shareholder, Giorgos Prassas, was to see full stands with colour and atmosphere.
Once the team returns to its own ground, the club said, hospitality for every supporter would be guaranteed and non-negotiable.
