Panathinaikos: Yiannis Alafouzou’s proposals for Greek football

Them seats of for her treatment her status in Greek football testified o Panathinaikos on the occasion of today’s (16/8) meeting at Megaros Maximos.

Through the letter sent by the owner of the “green” PAE, Yannis Alafouzos both to Prime Minister but also to president of UEFAthe main axes of the sentences are recorded.

These are the interventions concerning the EPO, through the electoral process, the upgrading of the Professional Football Commission, financial transparency, professional arbitration and sports justice. Her dealing with violence as well as her race manipulation.

The relevant letter in detail:

“The owner and president of PAE Panathinaikos, Mr. Yiannis Alafouzos sent a letter to the Prime Minister, Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the president of UEFA, Mr. Alexander Ceferin, with proposals regarding the issues of transparency in Greek football. The letter in detail:

To

Prime Minister Mr. K. Mitsotakis

UEFA President Mr. A. Ceferin

Athens, August 16, 2023

Gentlemen,

The issues of transparency are the main pursuit of the HELLENIC REPUBLIC/UEFA/FIFA road map to deal with the problems related to the operation of Greek football such as violence in the stadiums, the manipulation of the results and the removal of many fans from the playing fields. Lack of transparency only results in corruption which fuels violence.

A. INTERVENTIONS CONCERNING THE EPO

ELECTION PROCEDURE – Immediate change of the electoral process by broadening the electoral base, in such a way that all those involved (professional and amateur unions) assume their responsibilities through a process of simultaneous direct election of the federation’s leadership. Today, the election is essentially only done by 55 EPs, which certainly do not represent professional football, but usually not amateur football either, but it facilitates the control of the EPO by extra-institutional interests, which form and use the occasional majorities.

PROFESSIONAL SOCCER COMMISSION UPGRADE – The assignment by the EPO of all responsibilities concerning professional football to the committee. Today this committee, despite the opposite directions of the road map of the HELLENIC REPUBLIC/UEFA/FIFA, is downgraded with only an advisory role. In this context, the complete institutional and organizational reorganization of the committee should be implemented.

FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY – The publication of the Federation’s detailed budget and report to its financiers and the wider public is a necessary condition for its smooth operation. Today despite repeated nagging by the Super League, which is the EPO’s main funder, no evidence has been provided, raising suspicions of mismanagement and malfeasance.

PROFESSIONAL ARBITRATION – The Legislative regulation of the issues concerning the organization and operation of professional arbitration in accordance with the instructions of the HELLENIC REPUBLIC/UEFA/FIFA, with its parallel independence from the EPO. In the meantime, to maintain the designation of international referees in the derbies of the professional league that has been in effect since 2018 with very positive results. Finally, the State’s obligation to protect arbitrators (Greek and foreign) from malicious elements is obvious.



SPORTS JUSTICE – The establishment of the essential independence of sports justice by the EPO, with the salary of the sports judges from the Ministry of Justice (at the expense of professional football), the meeting of the sports courts at the premises of the Athens Court of Appeal and not at the offices of the EPO, and the increasing the salaries of sports referees. In this context, the necessary protection of sports referees from the exercise of violence and intimidation should also be provided, in order to avoid phenomena such as the one that appeared recently with the “nailed board” in the driver’s seat of a sports referee’s car.

B. COMBAT VIOLENCE – POLICE

In order to combat violence, there is already a legislative framework that covers issues such as the restrictive conditions against those accused of sports violence, the identification of fans and the physical control upon entering the stadiums, the speedy administration of justice, the adequate electronic supervision of sports facilities and the effective operation of the Permanent Committee for Combating Violence (CPV). Unfortunately, this framework is not implemented.

Particularly regarding the entry of fans into the playing fields (identification, physical control) the responsibility should be exclusively that of the Greek police. It goes without saying that under the current conditions this responsibility cannot be shifted to PAE or other private companies.

C. MATCH FIXING

Finally, it is the duty of the Greek State, the Judiciary and the Sports Judiciary to clear up the recent big scandal of the manipulation of the results of Greek professional football matches.

We note that over time sports justice delays and avoids in every way the investigation of these cases.

Yours sincerely,

Ioannis Alafouzos”.