Asteras Tripolis demoted from Greek Super League

Posted Saturday, October 01, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

ATHENS, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Asteras Tripolis have been demoted from the Greek Super League to the second division after being found guilty of bribery, the organization’s disciplinary committee said on Friday.

Tripolis president Giorgos Borovilos has received a three-year ban and the club have been fined 300,000 euros ($402,511), the Super League said.

Tripolis, relegated at the end of last season, had only secured their participation in the top flight on Sept. 5 when Iraklis were demoted for forging a document.

However, football prosecutor Andreas Fakos filed charges against Tripolis, accusing Borovilos of giving the then Olympiakos Volos owner Achilleas Beos 500,000 euros for his team to underperform when the two teams met at Tripoli in March 2011. Asteras won the match 2-1. Borovilos was found guilty of the charges.

The verdict is subject to appeal and the Super League have yet to confirm which team will replace Tripolis, who had taken two points from their opening four matches.

The news comes as another blow to Greek football which is still reeling from the aftermath of a match-fixing scandal which erupted in June.

The decision also means that three places in the 16-team Super League are still to be filled with four rounds of matches already played.

Olympiakos Volos and Kavala were both relegated to Greece’s second tier in July for their involvement in match-fixing.

Volos president Achilleas Beos, in prison pending trial for his involvement, and former Kavala owner Makis Psomiadis, also identified by the Athens prosecutor in the fixing probe, received life bans from football.

Volos and Kavala, who were heavily fined, have since been sent to the fourth division for their involvement in further match-fixing cases.

The Super League have confirmed that the Professional Sports Committee (EEA) is expected to announce the decision on the licences of Doxa Dramas and Levadiakos, who are due to take the places of Volos and Kavala, next Tuesday.