Olympiakos and four other top-flight Greek clubs faced with relegation threat in match-fixing scandal

Posted Saturday, June 25, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

Greek Super League champions Olympiakos could face relegation to the second division, after being implicated in a match-fixing scandal which could have grave consequence for the country's football future.

Olympiakos and Super League president Vangelis Marinakis and Greece international Avraam Papadopoulos are the highest-profile suspects in a match-fixing ring that allegedly reaches across Greek football, although both have since protested their innocence. The Hellenic Football Federation have announced that they have no intention of using Papadopoulos again for national team matters.

Fellow Super League sides Olympiakos Volou, Kavala, Kerkyra and Asteras Tripolis are also being investigated, as well as over half of the teams in the Second Division and some in the third-tier of Greek football.

Appointed prosecutor Andreas Fakos insisted that any club that were found to be involved in the scandal in any way would be punished with demotion, with the criminal charges relating to bribery and betting so far.

"If the clubs are found guilty, then the law provides for relegation," he stated in a radio interview to Sentra FM on Friday.

Fakos added that he is now awaiting a copy of the case documents to decide who will be charged in regards to those involved in the sporting side of the scandal.

The saga broke out on Wednesday, after UEFA compiled a list of 41 Greek Super League results from as far back as the 2009-10 campaign which were deemed to be suspicious by the organization.

Shortly after an investigation was made into the case, judicial authorities originally made a list of 15 suspects, who were identified as the ring leaders behind the case, are faced with criminal charges and could face between five years and life behind bars.

However, in a matter of days, the list had ballooned to 70, albeit on lesser charges, although they are still deemed very serious.

10 of the 70 that were named have already been arrested, including Olympiakos Volos chairman Achilleas Beos.

Other notable culprits include Aris' Costas Mendrinos, who once plied his trade for Olympiakos and has been told to find a new club, and Jose Reyes of Diagoras. Referees Dimitris Kalopoulos and Yiannis Spathas are the officials said to be involved in the match-fixing ring.

Meanwhile, Kavala could face double charges after another twist saw the club give its players banned substances this season. The club's owner was exposed in the playback of a tapped conversation.

This latest outbreak is another hammer blow to the sport in Greece, after its governing body, the HFF, faced the wrath of FIFA in 2006 when the national team were temporarily suspended from featuring in competitive matches and its club teams were temporarily banned from participating in European competition, due to government intervention.