Announcement

With its recent decisions, EOK (Hellenic Basketball Federation) continues to be the only European Basketball Federation that insists to the unlawful ban of the international Euroleague referees from domestic competitions, thus in breach of the final decision of the Supreme Council for the Resolve of Athletic Disputes (ASEAD), which recognizes the ban on Messrs. Gkontas, Papetrou, Foufis and Koromilas from the A1 League games as not legal.

Nevertheless, only during last week and in continuance of the unsubstantiated stance adopted for more than 16 months now, the members of the Central Refereeing Committee have unlawfully decided the “exile” of two of the above refs to games of the A2 division, while they continued the same practice yesterday, when they decided to fully exclude the Euroleague international referees from the upcoming Greek Cup Game between our team and AEK BC.

So, in full contrast to what is the norm in every other European League, four of the most experienced and capable Greek referees, with numerous participations in the top club competition, the Euroleague and in Final Fours, remain illegally excluded since October 2016, without any shred of legal substantiation or other legal cause.

Olympiacos BC has submitted a relevant letter – report to the Deputy Minister of Sports Mr. G. Vasileiadis on February 2, asking for his immediate intervention, so that on one hand the decisions of the Greek Justice System are respected and the above refs are immediate re-instated with the A1 League games and on the other to examine the illegal conduct of the Greek Federation, that operates under the auspices and the checks of the General Secretariat of Sports, that is under state control and governance.      

It is now the time for the State to intervene, so that Greek basketball is liberated by illegal behaviors of such kind, that put breaks and harm any form of healthy investment in the sport.

OLYMPIACOS BC