Match fixing

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has decided to take action on the issue of alleged match manipulation in the Greek soccer league, according to media reports which said the issue is now in the hands of its integrity department.

Five presidents of the Greek soccer Super League were betting on fixed matches last season, according to allegations made in an anonymous letter received by the Supreme Court, the website dikisports.blogspot.com claimed on Thursday.

Olympiakos and Atromitos are threatened with relegation, while their owner Evangelos Marinakis and Giorgos Spanos, Portuguese coach Ricardo Sa Pinto and a dozen others are threatened with very serious sanctions, all for corruption and match fixing in Greek soccer, according to a report on Athens radio station Sport FM.

Cypriot authorities and UEFA officials have agreed to forge closer links in order to strengthen the fight against possible match-fixing, the country's justice minister said on Tuesday.

The big loser of the meeting between the Big 4, of FIFA / UEFA and Lefteris Avgenakis was none other than Vangelis Grammenos. The EPO's president was marginalized and confronted by everyone.

Grammenos was marginalized by Savvides himself, who left his «own» Federation president unveiled.

The Cypriot soccer league got back on track Monday after referees ended their walkout following assurances about their safety in the wake of a bombing attack against a colleague's car.

Despite the development, there are still lingering allegations of match-fixing.

The Christmas spirit does not appear to have reached Greek soccer, as the Super League has got suspended after the protest by the referees against Olympiakos' attack on the officials of the match against Volos and the assault at the home of one of them on Sunday.

Olympiacos FC leader and Piraeus City Councillor Evangelos Marinakis, who received the most votes in the recent municipal elections, told journalists after casting his vote today that,"A new day is beginning for the Greek people and all together we shall try to make a new Greece in which the sacrifices of the Greek people will be vindicated".

Greek shipping magnate Vangelis Marinakis claimed in a radio interview on Thursday that Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Digital Policy Minister Nikos Pappas had asked him to pay the first instalment of a TV license fee on behalf of another businessman who was reportedly on good terms with the government.

The Cyprus Football Association (CFA) has postponed this weekend's second division fixtures following warnings from UEFA regarding suspected match-fixing.

The CFA board of directors will meet next Tuesday to examine rule changes to stamp out any perceived corruption, including a points deduction, relegation or removal of a team found to be guilty of match-fixing.