Pantazopoulos: “The Federation did not want to help, my resignation at the disposal of the administration”

In order for everyone to have a clear picture, Peristeri bwin, after the end of the match with PAOK, came into contact with the Federation, expressing the interest in granting extra tickets or invitations, for the matches on Saturday and Sunday, in case of our qualification .

The answer we received was that it was not possible to talk about tickets or invitations for Saturday’s game because they were waiting for the semi-final between Olympiakos and Panathinaikos to finish first.

The Federation immediately assured us that we would be in constant communication on this matter, in case our team qualified for Sunday’s final.

In a question asked by me to Panathinaikos and Olympiacos before the match between them, Panathinaikos said that they would probably ask for tickets, and Olympiacos after the game concluded that they did not need any more tickets.

Our team had specific individual requests, from their friends to be with them in the biggest moment in their history and in a celebration of basketball, in the final of the Cup.

Thus began a process of communication and consultation with the Federation to secure tickets or invitations for these people, who would come on the day of the match.

In a discussion that took place after the match with AEK, they even showed us the places where our teammates could sit individually.

On Sunday morning, 31 people arrived by boat and 16 by air and upon completion of their arrival, we gathered their AMKAs and IDs for the necessary identifications, so they could enter the stadium.

Since Sunday morning, we have been in constant communication with the Federation. At 12:20 we sent the relevant list and by 18:30 we were waiting for the Federation to send the tickets and invitations.

Our fans, since they could not finally enter the stadium, left.

It is clear that there was no desire from the Federation to find a solution. It must be emphasized that neither on Thursday after the match with PAOK, nor on Saturday after the match with AEK, EEC did not exclude the possibility of the presence of some of our individual fans who would come to the stadium on the same day on Sunday. That’s why we also informed those few friends of ours, who wished to come, to start.

That there was a way to do it was clear, as an hour before the game, we were issued 14 invitations so that some of the 47 could enter the field. But our sports fans did not accept this and said they will enter either all or none!

The responsibility really falls on me, because I believed the words of the people of the Federation, who told me that people will enter the stadium. Why would they ask me for the list of identity cards and AMKAs, if there was no such possibility?

My opinion is that no attempt was made to help, to solve this problem, based on excuses which to me are really funny. On the one hand, the Police said to issue tickets and on the other hand the Federation claimed that the Police would not let them. And it was all a game, as the tickets were closed from 9/2 and there was no possibility of issuing, except through the Federation.

What really saddens me is that we gave away 47 names with AMKA and IDs of friends of our team, who wanted to watch the first cup final in our history. And this right was denied to them.

The responsibility lies only with me for believing these people. I had personally vouched for our individual fans who traveled to Crete.

The absurdity of the case is that our fans would leave the stadium at half time of the match, before the Final had even finished, to catch the return evening ferry! The Federation was aware of this as well.