Greek league angry at talk of state funding suspension

Greece’s top flight Super League on Tuesday angrily responded to a comment made by General Secretary for Sports Panayiotis Bitaxis that funding through the state-owned gambling company would be suspended if violence continues to plague the sport.

A statement by the Super League described the comment by Bitaxis made at a press conference Monday as ‘economic blackmail and unlawful’.

“The problem cannot be solved by the league alone, nor the 16 team members, if there is no co-operation with the police, the state authorities, the organized club supporters and all those involved in the matches,” the statement said.

“Instead of further co-operation, the state is looking to economically blackmail us with the proposal to suspend the co-operation between the Super League and (the state gambling company) OPAP as mentioned by the general secretary.”

The league said it is doing everything possible to combat violence at football matches and that it gave out fines of 1,950,000 euros last season alone which was double that of the previous campaign.

“We invite Mr. Bitaxis to reconsider his position and continue the dialogue with the main objective to stop the violence,” the statement said.

President of the Greek Football Federation (EPO) Sophocles Pilavios said in a statement on Tuesday that the federation will suggest new measures for the new season at its general assembly meeting in June but called on the state “to also look to its own responsibilities and its own actions. We all have our responsibilities.

“Greek citizens are feeling enraged and frustrated at having to watch championships that lack credibility and were the law of the jungle and blind violence rules,” Bitaxis said on Monday.

He said OPAP pays 23 million euros in sponsorship to the Super League annually and another 9 million goes to second and third division clubs.

Bitaxis warned that the state would not release any more funds if the violence continued.