Giannakopoulos bids to buy Panathinaikos soccer club, rebuild Olympic Stadium

Deputy Minister for Sports Giorgos Vassiliadis confirmed on Thursday morning a press report according to which the owner of the Panathinaikos basketball club, Dimitris Giannakopoulos has tabled a proposal for the acquisition of the soccer club as well as the Olympic Stadium of Athens in cooperation with foreign funds.

Sports daily Live Sport reported on Thursday that Giannakopoulos has submitted a detailed proposal that includes the buyout of the cash-strapped Panathinaikos soccer club from Panathinaiki Alliance, led by Yiannis Alafouzos, on the condition that Giannakopoulos and his partners also acquire the Olympic Sports Center (OAKA) - that hosted the 2004 Athens Olympics - in its entirety.

His plan, the newspaper explained, concerns the demolition of the Olympic Stadium with the exception of the roof that was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava ahead of...