Marinakis: “Baltakos told us that he was threatened by Melissanidis that he will wear a black tie”!

Vangelis Marinakis’ letter in detail…

In order to restore the truth and for the sports fans to finally know what is happening in Greece and its football, I have to state the following:

In a scheduled appointment since last Friday, at the EPO offices, following a (unfortunately for our football) prophetic announcement, I emphasized to the President of the EPO that Mr. Bennett and Mr. Mandalos must be removed immediately since they have fail miserably.

We saw what happened over the weekend but also what happened in the previous games with almost all the teams making announcements against Mr. Bennett!

In the very 1st matchday of the playoffs, they failed to respond and went ahead with definitions that shook two games into the air.

At the same time I informed the President of the EPO that the Super League intends to help, as a serious organization with access and given respect to UEFA and major Associations and not like the worthless Bennetts and others of the EPO, to find elite referees for the derbies and referees from the top shelf, so that Greek football is not blown up in the continuation of the playoffs.

The definitions, of course and always under the guidance of UEFA/FIFA, would be made by the EPO and not by the Super League, nor was any such issue raised in our conversation.

At the meeting, in which Mr. Kostas Karapapas and Mr. Leonidas Thomaidis (member of the EU and representative of the EPO in SL2) were also present, therefore there are witnesses to what was said, the president of the EPO told me that he completely agrees with this position and to announce together that EPO and Super League will cooperate for the arrival of elite referees.

He also pointed out to me that Head Referee Bennett is still unable to find and bring in good referees.

Immediately after the meeting and after pressure (which may have been suffocating), the EPO issued a statement with different content and references to issues that were not discussed.

To a certain extent I understand Mr. Baltakos, since as he told us he was threatened by D. Melissanidis that he will wear a “black tie”, that is to say he will mourn members of his family (!) and he has already requested police protection for his family!

This is Greece, this is where Greek football, EPO and KED are today.

Is that what you guys want? Is this how you want to continue?

Some, unfortunately, want Dabanovic, Iraqi, Afghan, Albanian referees and baristas from the bottom shelf who will commit crimes on the playing fields! Referees and baristas, who will be picked up from the airport by each Sidiropoulos, whom everyone knows, together with each Diakofotis (president of the Dodecanese Football Association), people who deal with referees, with elections in associations, with games in B and C National and with parafootball.

From now on if you want the league (which has already been tampered with) to end cleanly and properly, what has already been agreed upon by the Super League teams must be adhered to.

Elite referees in all derbies and top referees from Europe’s 6 major leagues in all play-offs. There is no room for any discount or excuse. And since it is a unanimous decision of the Super League, I do not need authorization from anyone to act so that the decision of the teams is implemented and not a blank letter remains in the minutes of the League.

Finally, those of us who want the good of Greek football need UEFA which must help us and put some order in the mess that is called EPO and is plagued by the existence of gangs, shadow games and by a jokey diarchy (Baltakou-Filippoussi) who leads us with mathematical precision in the degradation and dissolution of Greek football.