Marinakis: 'I do not accept EPO's rigged proposal – Koxenoglou is a president of common acceptance'

Olympiacos President Vangelis Marinakis has strongly criticized the Hellenic Football Federation's (EPO) proposal, labeling it "rigged" and alleging that political pressure and undisclosed "bribes" were used to sway votes. Marinakis claimed that Savvidis "did everything" to ensure Giannis Alafouzos's candidacy, hinting at further revelations about written messages and pressure exerted on club owners.

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Obviously I do not accept the rigged proposal of the EPO. What Mr. Gagatsis forgot to say is that Mr. Savvidis did everything to get Mr. Alafouzos elected.

"We said we shouldn't mix football with politics, but again there were political pressures for the teams to vote for Mr. Alafouzos," Marinakis stated, noting that the vote remained tied at 7-7. He defended his own leadership in the Super League, asserting that his tenure secured a major sponsorship and pursued joint television rights management. This, he argued, resulted in all clubs obtaining strong four-year TV contracts, making them independent of figures like Marinakis, Alafouzos, or Savvidis.

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We said we shouldn't mix football with politics, but again there were political pressures for the teams to vote for Mr. Alafouzos.

Marinakis reiterated that he has no personal interest in the presidency and proposed electing a mutually accepted figure to ease the current tensions. "Nothing changes in my daily life by being the president of the Super League, nor does it help my team," he said. He suggested Vice President Koxenoglou as a capable and experienced candidate for the role, believing her election would be beneficial for football.

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I proved from the beginning of my tenure as president of the Super League that I want the good of all teams. With the major sponsorship secured and the effort for joint television management, we managed to have all teams with very good television contracts for four years, so they don't need Marinakis, Alafouzos, or Savvidis.

The election process has resulted in a deadlock, with the vote tied twice. A third round of voting is scheduled for Wednesday.

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Nothing changes in my daily life by being the president of the Super League, nor does it help my team. To de-escalate the situation and for the good of football, I accept having a candidate of common acceptance, like the vice president Ms. Koxenoglou, who is proven to be capable and experienced in the cooperative's matters.