Bandist on bwinSPORT FM 94.6: “Justification for PSAPP and the athletes who had difficulties”

He feels justified Giorgos Bandis on the agreement of the Panhellenic Association of Salaried Football Players (PSAPP) with the government for the payment of the money owed to Aris and PAS Ioannina players who had entered article 44. As he pointed out to News Bulletin 247 the president of the trade union body, the state pledged to resolve the issue that had caused serious livelihood problems to professionals. However, as he said, there are still steps to be taken for the rights of professional football players. He spoke in detail about:

– the commitment to pay off the football players of Aris and PAS who were included in article 44: “I am happy and feel vindicated because since 2019, when I joined the association, there has been a very big fight for this particular case, which unfortunately some people had written off, while the law existed. Based on Law 3606/2007, PAE Aris and PAS Ioannina had gone into liquidation based on Article 44. AEK had also gone into liquidation, but it had excluded the footballers, it had paid them. In this list, therefore, there were 45 football players of Aris and PAS. The law had been passed by all the parties of the Parliament at the time and decided to pay the debt in four equal installments. The first two installments were paid, but then everything froze, citing memorandums and debt. Many ministers have passed since then and many presidents from PSAPP. Since I brought it up in 2019 I have heard many promises. Some remained silent, but the Deputy Minister of Sports, Mr. Vroutsis, and the Deputy Minister of National Economy, Mr. Petralias, took action and in the next period of time, the procedures will be initiated so that these footballers can finally collect their money after 15 years. Now we have left the verbal, we have moved into action, but some specific procedures are required to disburse the amount”.

– the difficult situation in which the footballers who owed them had fallen: “I am very happy for these children because they have been through a lot. There have been suicide attempts, some are cancer patients, some have lost their homes, their property… When the state owes you money you feel doubly wronged and today these children can feel justified because the state will respect this obligation it had undertaken in 2007 .The link all this time was saying ‘yeah, you’re right, but’. Now we heard ‘yeah, you’re right, but let’s work it out’. PSAPP works as a trade union body for football players and through its members tries to help society in various ways.”

-whether there are debts in professional football to the athletes: “The truth is that now things are better. In Super League 1 things are very good, we are trying to fix things in Super League 2. There is a very big gap from 2015 and before, with players who have final decisions and cannot execute them. We have informed the ministry, the difference is that these debts have nothing to do with the state. The EPO must also provide with the help of the Super League to solve this problem as well. Foreign footballers who appealed have been vindicated, while their Greek teammates have not. We will soon make a proposal to the Professional Football Commission. There are many of these children, over 1,000, who cannot get their money. The association is united and it makes me happy that we have on our side children who have solved their financial problem, like Tasos Bakasetas, but are standing together with their fellow athletes”.

-his message for the Greek footballers: “We should support our footballers, we should not be so strict with them. They are children who fight with great pressure for the result. And wrong they do, we should be lenient, especially when they come out afterwards and admit it. It is no coincidence that this year we did better in Europe, because we have a very competitive league. A league where we still don’t know the champion or who will be relegated.”