Panathinaikos left-back Juan 'Juankar' Carlos was warming up on the touchline shortly after half-time when he was struck by a firework and had to be carried off the pitch on a stretcher.

The game, which was being played at Olympiakos' home stadium, was called off at 1-1.

"The derby ... was not completed as there was an interruption in the 50th minute due to an injury to Juankar," Panathinaikos said in a statement.

"A firecracker was launched from the home team's stand and exploded at the spot where the (Panathinaikos) football players were warming up. Juankar fell to the ground in a daze, while he also had a problem with his hearing.

"The game did not restart and the referee closed the match sheet in a match whose fate will be decided in the courts..."

The Greek Super League and the Greek Football Federation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Games between the two sides in the Athens derby have often been marred by violence and crowd trouble.

In 2019, a Panathinaikos home match against Olympiakos was abandoned after their fans attacked players on the visiting team's bench and clashed with police.

Four years before that, a game was called off before the start following violence in and around the stadium and after flares had been thrown onto the pitch.