Marinakis to EPO: “You made major league players practice in mud – You have spoiled everything”!

On the occasion of no. 59 meeting of the Executive Committee of the EPO I am forced to address you once again even though I realize that the words to all of you in the management of the EPO have no value.

Once again, I consider it unacceptable to discuss Topics that are introduced without a relevant introduction or documentation, as is indicative (for example) of Topics 17, 19, or 25.

Unfortunately there is no area in Football that you have not degraded with your practices.

For months we have been watching the antics unfolding around the National Team. First the fiasco with the Footballers’ cards for which no one has been held accountable, as a result of which our National Team is led to a match against the French national team tomorrow without its key players. Then, we had the country’s international exposure from holding national team matches in stadiums – fields which also caused the disapproval of the opponents’ footballers. And instead of asking for an apology in the face of this outcry, you had various weirdos ask them for change. You set a team friendly in an uncrowded, unlicensed stadium and had footballers (who laugh at you) playing in major European leagues train in the mud.

That’s how much you love the National Team. We are in danger of drifting worldwide with the scandal of the Training Center, where you again choose what your boss tells you (Markopoulos) while there are better solutions (Elliniko).

Recently, we are also following the dispute with the case of Mr. Poyet’s Assistant, whom you have been unable to pay (!) for almost a year. How was this man hired and under what regime so that you cannot pay him? Is an announcement that the particular gentleman “refuses” to issue a VAT number enough to close the matter?

The only thing you are interested in is introducing in today’s meeting (covertly) in Topic 6 the recruitment of Vassilis Dimitriadis as team manager of the National Team of Hope (!!!)). I read in the Minutes of the National Teams Committee (item 8) shared with us “The National Teams Committee recommends the recruitment of a Team Manager of the National Team of Hopes. For his remuneration, the President of EPO and the Executive Director are authorized to determine the amount”. For the President and CEO to be empowered to determine (only) the amount of the Team Manager’s pay and not find the person as well, you have already found him. Are you ashamed to write the name of K. Dimitriadis? By what criteria was he selected and with what qualifications? Were other candidates sought or considered? Probably the criterion is that he has been unemployed and you have to accommodate him somewhere as your real boss the owner of AEK asked you. Another one who needs to get comfortable, as was done before with various minions, lovebirds, slackers and incompetents and others who we pay with outrageous salaries as professional football with the money we pay to the EPO.

We are invited in Item 19 to discuss and take a decision as the Executive Committee on the recognition or non-candidate of Member no. 11 of the Statute. Who is this Member? There is no relevant suggestion. Has it been pre-worked by the Legal Service? Is there any relevant suggestion? do we know what its Statute is, if it meets the conditions of the Law, how it was established? There is no update. At the same time we as a Federation and as Members of the Executive Committee are receiving threats of lawsuits from another Union that must register as a Member of the EPO based on court decisions that the Federation refuses to implement.

You invite us to discuss as Topic 21 the “Restructuring of the Standing Committees of the EPO”. You are obviously referring to the recycling of persons since these Committees are nothing more than the sum of their Members, as the Executive Committee risks becoming. The phenomena of its operation with decorative terms and with absolute contempt for the Statute or the Laws are continuous and repeated. That is why you insist on operating without Operating Regulations, that is why there are no Operating Regulations and the standing Committees. That is why you do not notify the competent Minister of Sports of the Regulations emanating from the Federation as required by Law 2725/1999, a fact which should have already led to the dismissal of the Executive Committee, but the competent bodies of the GGA and the Governance Control Committee and Compliance with the EPO probably have more serious things to do than to deal with the observance of the laws of the Greek State.

You are again bringing up for discussion as Topic 25 a “KED Issues” without the slightest suggestion on it. What are these Themes? Are they about professional football? And if so, have you brought them up for discussion at the Professional Football Commission and when? Unless the purpose and goal of these matters are personal “arrangements”.

A few days ago, the business of the current Arbitrator, Mr. A. Gamaris, was burned down with an incendiary device. Also, a few days ago, the former Referee Mr. G. Kominis in an interview publicly stated that after a specific match he refereed not so many years ago, he received threats against his pregnant wife, and even while he was still an active Referee. That is, a threatened referee was still officiating and officiating league matches.

In the face of these phenomena, instead of taking charge, the new Chief Referee (?) K. Freudfeld is still taking walks with the caravan. And the EPO is satisfied with press releases and its president indifferently whistles as he always does.

There is nothing you can do without leading football to humiliation. But you, they are: so small and so subservient. And so you will remain

The responsibility and complicity for what is happening dramatically in Greek football is now equally borne by the non-existent and disappeared Government which unfortunately is not indifferent: it is obvious that this situation and the tolerance it shows is its own wish.

The Government of the country does not want the cleansing of Greek football because this serves it, as it serves its friends. That is why he chose as the responsible Minister for Sports someone invisible who neither had, nor has nor is going to acquire a relationship with sports and is not going to offer anything to it.

Finally, for my part, I reserve every legal right of the Cooperative against any decision that is contrary to the provisions of the Law and the Statute and may harm the interests of Superleague 1.