Greek football clubs rebel as divisions deepen with threats to quit Super League

Major Greek clubs are in open revolt over the corruption scandal that has put the owner of Olympiacos in the dock over allegations of extortion, bribery and arranging a bombing. 

According to an article on the Greek sports news site, SDNA.gr, Panathinaikos's owner, Yiannis Alafouzos (pictured), spoke for several leading Greek clubs as he threatened to withdraw his team from the Greek Super League next season.

"AEK owner Dimitris Melissanidis shares the idea that we cannot play in the Greek Super League next season under these circumstances," Alafouzos was quoted as saying by SDNA.gr.

"We have discussed this issue thoroughly with PAOK owner Ivan Savvidis. I think that Savvidis is considering this option as well. We have not taken any definite decision yet. But we haven't rejected this possibility. It's an extreme action, but it is still on the cards."

Alafouzos was commenting after the Super League's board of directors ratified the 2014-15 season table, which Olympiacos won by nine points. The board signed it off despite the ongoing criminal inquiry into allegations of a match-fixing crime ring at the heart of the Hellenic Football Federation involving 26 individuals.

The highest-profile figure among them is Evangelos Marinakis, who is due to appear in court next month to enter a plea against accusations of incitement to bribery and extortion. He is also accused of being involved in the crime ring and in the bombing of the business premises belonging to a former FIFA-qualified Super League referee. [See related articles below.]

Panathinaikos had lodged a pre-emptive complaint against the ratification of the final league table, requesting that the criminal-case files be submitted to the league's disciplinary committees. That would have set in train a separate football inquiry aimed at protecting the integrity of the competition.

Panathinaikos, who came second in the Super League this season, also called for a delay in the start of the play-offs until after these football-disciplinary cases had been completed. The club said in its submission: "We understand and share the concerns that this delay can cause in the athletic preparation of the teams that may participate in the play offs, but we consider it to be the minimum price for the catharsis that is needed here and now."

Panathinaikos's proposal found no support and the table was partially ratified, in positions 1 to 5. Ratification of the rest of the table is in abeyance until after a decision is reached in the HFF case involving Veria. That club, whose former owner Girogos Arvanitides is a co-defendant in the crime-ring case in which Marinakis is implicated, has been charged by the HFF's prosecutor, Konstantino Petropoulos. As yet Olympiacos has not.

Giannis Vretzos, Olympiacos's general director, said in a statement: "While we have chosen not to comment on the developments in the justice system, because we trust its function. As is clear from all the documentation from the depositions of Melissanidis, Georgeas and Kalaitzides, there is no evidence implicating Mr. Marinakis in this case.

"So there is no reason for any disciplinary action to be taken against Mr. Marinakis. We can't be judged by TV stations and websites and we shall not reply or apologize for what sees the light of day."