Greek Soccer corruption: the list of the accused

Twenty-six club owners, staff and Hellenic Football Federation officials now stand accused by the courts in the corruption scandal sweeping through Greek football. 

By the second week of June, all 26 will have appeared before magistrates to enter a defence against the allegations levelled by investigating judges. Among them are:

· Evangelos Marinakis, the owner and president of Olympiacos, who must appear in early June [see related article below]

· Giannis Kompotis, the owner of PAE Levadiakos who has already appeared

· Giorgios Spanos, owner of Atromitos, due to go before magistrates by May 5

· Giorgos Arvanitides, the former owner of PAE Veria, due to appear before May 7

Alongside the club shareholders are the chief executives of Veria and Atromitos as well as Giorgios Sarris, a former president of the HFF, its former general secretary, its former legal adviser and two ex-members of its board. Two former referees' committee officials stand accused alongside members of the HFF's appeals committee and its highest arbitration court. Six Super League referees must also face magistrates.

The scale of the inquiry demonstrates how the scandal has shaken the core of Greek football's establishment.

Three of the accused - Kompotis, the former appeals-committee member Maria Anastasaki and Giorgios Vlassis, the arbitration-court member - had already appeared before the courts to submit their defences earlier this week. The referees Constantine Ioannides, Apostle Amparkiolis and Giannis Kampaxis did the same at court yesterday.

Although under the Greek justice system the matter may not come to trial until next year, if perhaps at all in some cases, all six have been ordered to take no further part in any football activity until a final verdict has been reached in each of their cases.

1:42 AM