Bennett to Baltako: “I hope you support the referees as you support the clubs”

Unfortunately, due to some recent events and in particular the deliberate intervention to change the definitions of matchday 5, you leave me with no other choice rather than resigning from my position as Head of Arbitration and president of the KED.

I have always performed my duties with integrity and worked in a professional manner, but most importantly, within the framework of the arbitration rules of FIFA and her UEFA.

Unfortunately, over time it is evident that the EPO does not wish to follow through the same way.

THE pressure to me to disclose the names of the foreign referees in the match Panathinaikos-AEK it is, in my opinion, completely unacceptable since you were the one who decided to change the original appointed Greek referees from this match after approaching the UEFA for foreign officials.

I would also like to express her disappointment for your lack of support for the Arbitration Committee during my tenure.

I do not remember none correspondence, phone calls, visits to the VAR center offices (despite verbal invitations) or any recognition of the work we all did and all the successes we achieved during that time which were many.

Finally, it was a pleasure to have and to work with a fully dedicated commission. They are amazing and have worked tirelessly to improve all the referees. They worked hard even at night, when others slept, to ensure that the referees were supported every step of the way.

I urge you to keep them all and get on with it valuable work that we have achieved, otherwise all will be lost.