Baltakos: “I regret that the final will take place without people – It should not be repeated in the future”

On behalf of the Executive Committee of the Hellenic Football Federation, I welcome you to the final of the Hellenic Cup Novibet 2023.

First of all, I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to AEK and PAOK for qualifying for the final.

Secondly, I want to express my regret that this year’s Final, the most important match of the year, is being held without the presence of spectators, but this was beyond our control and we will try not to repeat it in the future.

Despite all this and despite the problems that existed until we reached today and the holding of the Final, we for our part expect that this match will be worthy of the prestige and historicity of the institution, full of spectacle, color, strong emotions and images consistent with the principles of “fair play” and the noble values ​​of the sport.

At EPO we focus with all our might on football and leave everything else aside. The sport we all love is a celebration for us. It is the game that we want to be moved by and that involves recognizing the value of the opponent and accepting the result from whatever angle you look at it – whether the winner or the loser.

For all these reasons our motto for this year’s Novibet Hellenic Cup Final is “Keep your eyes on the ball”.

All our attention is focused on football and nowhere else. I also want to thank our TV provider, Cosmote, and the naming sponsor of the Cup, Novibet, for their great contribution to this year’s event.

I wish AEK and PAOK the best of luck and I hope they offer us an unforgettable final, which is guaranteed by the quality of their players and above all their many years of history.

President E.P.O.