The so called “clean-up” of Greek football showed again its true face at Karaiskaki stadium. Olympiacos had to face not only PAOK but also the referees who refused granting a clear penalty kick when the game was at a 0-1 score and in general “played along” PAOK, helping the Club from Thessaloniki avoid defeat.
At the stadium present were officers from FIFA/UEFA who are supervising the supposed “clean-up” of EPO (the Hellenic Football Federation) and were eye-witnesses to what happened. To be more precise: they were witnesses of what they have let happen, a situation that lets PAOK always get a more favourite treatment. The result of this has been a deep crisis of Greek football.
Vangelis Marinakis saw that the chairman of the monitoring committee Herbert Hübel was present at the game along with two other UEFA officials and expressed his anger for what they have allowed to happen!
“You let this happen. You do not respect the product. You had a first had experience of what is happening. You are also responsible for what is happening. And you do nothing”, the leader of Olympiacos stressed, with Hübel just nodding in agreement.
“Are you happy with refereeing today? Did you see it? We respect everyone here. Our stadium is like a church, whereas others are like a jungle. This is not Toumba stadium where they act like animals”.
“We respect football, we strive for the best but you let them act without any control”, Vangelis Marinakis added and insisted repeatedly that for the continuing “crime” against Greek Football FIFA/UEFA are responsible because they watch and do nothing.
Olympiacos is expected today to make another appeal to UEFA, trying to do whatever is possible in order to put an end to this situation.
Hübel admitted that refereeing was bad
At some point Hüber replied that “it was just a match…”, but Marinakis answered that “this happens on every day of the season calendar, you have lost control”. At the same time the administrative leader of Olympiacos asked him to give a clear answer if he was happy from yesterday’s refereeing with Hübel answering “no”.
“With the satellite teams there are crimes being committed. They have the same owner and UEFA turns a blind eye to this”.
“These crimes have been happening every Sunday in favour of PAOK and its satellite teams”, Vangelis Marinakis insisted, after Hübel clearly accepted that refereeing was bad with the leading div of Olympiacos talking about the problem with satellite teams”.
“With the satellite teams there are crimes being committed. They have the same owner and UEFA turns a blind eye. During the next days, Olympiacos will present evidence and we expect UEFA to seriously deal with this issue”.
It should be stressed that with Hübel admitting that refereeing was bad, it would impossible for FIFA/UEFA not to deal seriously with what is happening, with Vangelis Marinakis stressing this urgent necessity and adding:
“Olympiacos is the only Club that is investing in football. This is evident by our presence in Europe. They are killing Greek football and UEFA must intervene”.
