UEFA pledges support to end violence and corruption in Greek soccer

·

President of UEFA Aleksander Ceferin says it has agreed to help Greece overhaul its professional leagues to curb violence and corruption.

Ceferin met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday and signed a seven-page agreement to provide assistance to the Greek Football Federation.

“UEFA will produce within three months from signing this declaration of intent, a holistic study for the improvement and upgrade of Greek professional football,” the document, seen by The Associated Press, said.

The study, it said, will include “tailor-made proposals” to restructure the league organization, respond to violence and “defamatory statements,” and safeguard the “integrity of the game to combat the threat of match-fixing, corruption, and doping.”

Successive governments have struggled for decades to contain violence surrounding Greece’s game, caught between the powerful influence of club owners and UEFA rules that do not allow direct government interference in the sport.

Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, left, receives a gift from UEFA President Aleskander Ceferin, during their meeting in Athens, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

The recent introduction of overseas referees for major games and VAR technology has been credited with improving the quality of the league. But the changes have failed to eliminate match-related violence, attacks against referees, and ongoing allegations of corruption.

The prime minister last month warned he was willing to request expulsion of Greece’s teams from European competition and even suspend the league unless major clubs sign up to the reform plan.

“We have taken a decision to clean up Greek football for good and we are very much looking forward to your assistance in this process,” Mitsotakis told Ceferin. “Greeks are very much in love with the sport and, frankly, what we’ve seen doesn’t do justice to the product that we have.”

Ceferin, who was joined in Athens by FIFA vice president Greg Clarke, said he was glad to receive assurances that the government would provide only a supporting role in the reforms.

“We are glad that the government is joining this common effort,” Ceferin said. “I do think that football will solve (the problems) by itself — but with our help.”

Sourced by: Associated Press

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Sussan Ley elected first female leader of Australia’s Liberal Party

Sussan Ley has made history by becoming the first woman to lead the Liberal Party in its 80-year history. Read more here.

Spectacular drone display dazzles Sydney for Pavlos Giannakopoulos Tournament

Sydney’s night sky dazzled with a display of Greek, Australian and Serbian flags on Monday night for the Pavlos Giannakopoulos Tournament.

Greek and Italian leaders pledge deeper ties on defence, energy and migration

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met in Rome for the Greece–Italy High Cooperation Council.

Greek Festival of Sydney closes with stirring tribute to golden age of Greek cinema

The Greek Festival of Sydney concluded in grand style on Sunday with 'Τα Κινηματογραφικά: Songstresses of the Golden Age of Greek Cinema.'

Costeen Hatzi sends positive message to Nick Kyrgios amid split

Influencer Costeen Hatzi has shared a farewell message to her ex-partner, tennis star Nick Kyrgios, following their March split.

You May Also Like

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra to perform ‘Maria Callas: A Concert in Hologram’

Tradition and technology will create magic on Thursday, December 7, when the EU presents Maria Callas along with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

Greek PM expresses grief as 1 person confirmed dead and 5 missing after Canadian helicopter crash off Greece

One person is dead and five are missing after a military helicopter operating off a Canadian frigate during a NATO exercise crashed into the...

‘Two dead soldiers were hugging’: Chris Zaropoulos’ first-hand account of October 28, 1940, in Greece

Chris Zaropoulos was only 9 years old when the Italians launched an air attack on Greek soldiers on October 28, 1940.