Anonymous letter to FIFA: “Corruption and abuse of power in Greek football”

FIFA received last week an anonymous letter, mailed by Larissa and rated as serious.

THE “Trial in the Open” revealed the contents of the letter, which they claim to have written five active and veteran footballers, three veteran referees and two active coaches.

With the letter they ask for an investigation into corruption in Greek football and for anonymity they cite well-founded fears for the safety of their lives. The letter is addressed to FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura and is shared with the Board of Directors. of the World Football Federation, the Ethics Committee, the Disciplinary Committee and the Legal Department.

It calls for the EPO to be investigated for corruption, abuse of power and breach of FIFA rules.

The letter writers emphasize that there is a increasing trend among Greek football players in suicides and in the foreclosures of their houses, mainly because their groups do not pay the debts.

They explain that the regulatory law in the country is organized in such a way that it does not allow Greek footballers to appeal against the decisions of the Greek judicial bodies, before FIFA and CAS (while it allows foreign players to do so).

At the same time, they clarify that against CAS jurisprudence and FIFA rules, the EPO rules do not recognize sporting succession at 100%thus creating disparity and irregularity in what FIFA is trying to achieve.

They think that “this has the effect of bringing the sport into disrepute, the EPO does not respect FIFA and the footballers cannot claim what they are owed».

In the anonymous letter reference is made to the judicial bodies of the EPO. “Continuously and without separation they ignore FIFA and CAS jurisprudence and never use it when they have to decide on sports disputes“, the letter writers emphasize and add:

“These disciplinary bodies are made up of senior judicial officers, who have no expertise in sports law or football law, and for the most part do not decide according to the rules or the law, but follow orders from team owners».

Special reference is made to the EPO Compliance Committee with derogatory terms (“any compliance is misleading and inaccurate”).

The anonymous letter to FIFA states that “Greek football is at the forefront of corruption, with match-fixing, violence against referees and hooliganism. Nevertheless the EPO remains apathetic».

The letter writers accuse the EPO president of being a proxy and not following his duties, “smearing FIFA in his private meetings and manipulating the body of Greek referees».

In fact, they attribute to him “an unjustified sense of self-importance».

The letter writers urge FIFA to intervene, because otherwise “it’s like letting the fox guard the hen house».

They note that “you shouldn’t let the sport suffer because a handful of people want it” and conclude: “We suggest you to use two uncorrupted and with vast knowledge of the law and the Greek mentality, Mr. Andreas Zaglis of FIBA ​​and Dr. Grigoris Ioannidis of Sports Law Expert, in order to clean up Greek football. We know that your new Disciplinary Code allows you to intervene in national matters, especially when the National Federation has done nothing to solve the problem».

Source: dikisports.blogspot.com