Archief - UEFA Europa League 2015-2016

In 2015, the Public Prosecutor[36] and the Council of Judges[37] acquitted Marinakis in relation to the Koriopolis match-fixing investigation, that begun in 2011, that was launched after UEFA gave Greek authorities a report citing irregular betting patterns, mostly involving Greek Cup and second division games in 2009 and 2010.[38] He was accused of participating in a match-fixing criminal network[39] with links with seven countries.[40] At the time, UEFA officials said no action was presently being considered against Olympiacos regarding its participation in the Champions League in the following season, because evidence in the Greek investigation cast no doubt over its 2010-11 league victory.[41] Marinakis was charged with complicity to commit acts of bribery and match manipulation,[42][43] of instigation and facilitating acts of violence.[44] Marinakis, along with the president of second-division club Ilioupoli, Giorgos Tsakogiannis and others, cooperated so that a group of hardcore Olympiacos fans would travel on March 13, 2011 to a third division match and provoke riots to bring about a penalty. The prosecutor’s report says that "Tsakogiannis informed [Ioannis] Papadopoulos that he had made arrangements and Evangelos Marinakis was aware of the plan for Olympiacos fans to cause riots".[44] Marinakis was acquitted from all charges by the Prosecutor, Panagiotis Poulios,[45] and the Council of Judges.[46]

Another investigation gathered pace in 2014, after prosecutor Aristidis Koreas was given the go-ahead by a council of judges[47] to make use of secretly recorded phone conversations[48] that point to the involvement of various sports officials, including Evangelos Marinakis. According to Koreas, "the president of a Superleague club and close associates approached and tried to use policemen, judges, politicians and other powerful figures for their own ends as part of the planning and organization of their team".[47] According to the prosecutor, Marinakis was helped by the President of the Greek Football Association, Giorgos Sarris, to choose specific referees to oversee key games.[49] He has repeatedly denied all charges:[50] "These allegations have nothing to do with me and have no effect on me whatsoever," Marinakis said. "There is not one shred of evidence against me."[51] On October 3, 2014, Aristidis Koreas, though he was replaced as athletic prosecutor, he remained on the case.[52] Evangelos Marinakis was questioned on 18 June 2015 and he was released on a €200,000 bail. He was also forced to stop being involved in any football activity, as well as he must report to a police station every 15 days.[53][54] In 2014, Marinakis was acquitted by the Three Members Court of First Instance relatively to the case of entering the referee's (Thanassis Yiachos's) locker room at halftime[55] during the football cup final between Olympiacos and Asteras Tripolis, against football regulations to complain about the decisions taken. Marinakis stated that he went to the referee’s locker room at halftime only to wish match officials "good luck". Olympiacos went on and won the match 3-1, after a tense 1-1 at halftime.[56] In 2015 Marinakis was also acquitted by the Three Members Court of Appeals for the same case.[57]
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