Euroleague referees against Giannakopoulos: “We ask for strict consequences if it does not prove what it denounces”

OR Euroleague referee (Union of Euroleague Basketball Officials) reacted to what the Dimitris Giannakopoulos for refereeing during playoffs stressing how they hurt her credibility Euroleague and calls on strict penalties. The referees point out that these positions are clearly intended to manipulate public opinion, to put pressure on the makers or to intimidate the referees and therefore demand strict and immediate consequences if there is no evidence of what he said. In fact, the referees also express their dissatisfaction with the Euroleague attitude that they consider not as dynamic.

The announcement:

Euroleague play offs have highlighted the best of European basketball – intensity, ability and drama. UEBO (Union of Euroleague Basketball officials) congratulates all the players, coaches, clubs and fans who made this postseason a celebration of the sport.

We are proud of our referees, selected for the play -offs, who have attributed under huge pressure with justice and professionalism.

During the play -offs, a club owner published repeated attacks on the Euroleague referees, describing them dishonest, referring to the league as a “Euroleague mafia” and warning: “Let’s see if they dare to define them again.” These threats and unfounded categories, which were widely communicated to social media and European sports media, included personal harassment and detrimental expressions such as “disgusting actions”. They interrupted the process of appointment of referees, personally hurt our members and undermined confidence in the game. In some cities, police escort is now routine. Do we have to wait for something worse before we take real action?

The referees, like players and coaches, make mistakes. But our referees are well -trained professionals who examine and analyze every appearance and work constantly to improve. Their decisions are made in good faith, without prejudice or agenda.

During the play -offs, UEBO chose not to respond publicly, out of respect for competition and focusing on the races. Now we need to talk clearly:

We have full and strong confidence in the professionalism, justice and independence of our referees. Each game is led by integrity and no agenda, regardless of the groups or conditions involved.

– We categorically deny the claims made against our members. If one believes that he has reliable evidence of unethical behavior, we urge him to present them to the competent legal or disciplinary authorities. We are not afraid of thorough examination and welcome transparency because we are confident of the truth: there is no evidence, because there is no misconduct.

– However, if the categories are reckless, without evidence and with a clear intention to manipulate public opinion, put pressure on the makers or to intimidate the referees, we ask for strict and immediate consequences. These actions harm the reliability of the competition, endanger people and should not be tolerated. Economic sanctions on their own are not enough.

Although the Euroleague leadership has not yet issued a public statement condemning the attacks or expressing its support for its referees, we remain confident that they share our core values ​​and will stand by us to maintain the integrity, justice and professionalism.

This is larger than any individual club or play. It is about protecting the future of competition we all share.

We call on all stakeholders – clubs, players, coaches, media and fans – to unite with us in building a culture of respect, professionalism and honest dialogue, both on the pitch and in the public space.

We express our appreciation to the El – EHCB coaches and the players – ELPA for their continued support. Together, we continue to work in the direction of better dietary patterns and a stronger, more satisfying basketball experience for everyone.