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Koriopolis () is the name given by the Greek press to a
match fixing In organized sports, match fixing (also known as game fixing, race fixing, throwing, rigging, hippodroming, or more generally sports fixing) is the act of playing or officiating a contest with the intention of achieving a predetermined result, v ...
scandal in Greek football that came to light in June 2011. With the help of UEFA and the Greek National Intelligence Service, the judicial authorities initially identified 83 suspects, which subsequently increased to 187, including football officials, referees, players and police officers, who were banned from leaving the country. The investigation centres on offences that include
illegal gambling Gambling law is the set of rules and regulations that apply to the gaming or gambling industry. Gaming law is not a branch of law in the traditional sense but rather is a collection of several areas of law that include criminal law, regulatory law ...
,
fraud In law, fraud is intent (law), intentional deception to deprive a victim of a legal right or to gain from a victim unlawfully or unfairly. Fraud can violate Civil law (common law), civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrato ...
,
extortion Extortion is the practice of obtaining benefit (e.g., money or goods) through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offence. Robbery is the simplest and most common form of extortion, although making unfounded ...
and
money laundering Money laundering is the process of illegally concealing the origin of money obtained from illicit activities (often known as dirty money) such as drug trafficking, sex work, terrorism, corruption, and embezzlement, and converting the funds i ...
. The name Koriopolis is a pun on the name of the Italian scandal of
Calciopoli ''Calciopoli'' () was a sports scandal in Italy's top professional association football league Serie A, and to a lesser extent, Serie B. The scandal centered on the manipulation of referee appointments to favor certain clubs during the 2004- ...
in 2006, and the Greek word ''korios'' (
phone tap Wiretapping, also known as wire tapping or telephone tapping, is the monitoring of telephone and Internet-based conversations by a third party, often by covert means. The wire tap received its name because, historically, the monitoring connecti ...
).


History

The investigation was launched after
UEFA The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; ; ) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs football, futsal and beach soccer, beach football in Europe and the List of transcontinental countries#A ...
, the sports governing body in Europe, published a report that indicated at least 40 matches were fixed in the country during the 2009–10 season. Among the 68 suspects listed by judicial authorities on 24 June 2011 were
Greek Super League The Super League Greece 1 (), or Stoiximan Super League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Greece and the highest level of the Greek football league system. The league was formed on 16 July 2006 and repla ...
chairman and
Olympiacos Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós (, Olympic Association of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a number of different competitive departments which participate in football, ...
owner
Evangelos Marinakis Evangelos "Vangelis" Marinakis (Ευάγγελος (Βαγγέλης) Μαρινάκης), born 30 July 1967) is a Greek businessman and investor, the principal shareholder of a number of companies operating in the shipping, Media (communicatio ...
(who was later acquitted) other club officials, players, referees and a chief of police. Details of the scandal were outlined in a 130-page document, a copy of which was seen by the
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
. It contains numerous transcripts of recorded telephone conversations, filled with profanities and threats of physical violence, allegedly between corrupt team officials deciding match results, using players and referees. Among the 68 suspects were also Thomas Mitropoulos president of
Egaleo FC Egaleo Football Club () is a Greek professional Association football, football club based in Aigaleo, a suburban town in the Athens#Athens Urban Area, Athens urban area, Greece. Founded in 1946, it uses all documents of previous club (Ierapolis ...
), Ioannis Kompotis (owner of Levadiakos FC), Giorgos Borovilos (president of Asteras Tripolis), Dimitris Bakos (owner of Asteras Tripolis), the referees Giachos, Tryfonas, Giannis Alafouzos and many more. Giorgos Nikitiadis, the government's deputy culture minister, described the investigation as "the darkest page in the history of Greek football" and the probe would go "as deep and as high as necessary".


Club punishments by HFF

On 28 July 2011 it was announced that Olympiacos Volos and
Kavala Kavala (, ''Kavála'' ) is a city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala regional unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos and on the A2 motorway, a one-and ...
would be relegated to the
Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...
, and their chairmen Achilleas Beos and Makis Psomiadis would face a lifelong ban from any football-related activity. Both of them appealed the decision. On 10 August 2011 the final decision from the HFF's court had been made. It was ultimately decided that both teams would remain in the
Super League Super League (also known as the Betfred Super League for sponsorship reasons, and legally Super League Europe Ltd.) is a professional rugby league competition, and the highest level of the British rugby league system, which consists of twelve t ...
, though with points deducted from the 2011-12 Super League season; Olympiacos Volos had 10 points deducted and
Kavala Kavala (, ''Kavála'' ) is a city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala regional unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos and on the A2 motorway, a one-and ...
8 points. The next day, 11 August 2011, Olympiacos Volos, which had reached the
Europa League The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
play-off round, were excluded from the competition by UEFA for their involvement in the scandal. At the time,
UEFA The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; ; ) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs football, futsal and beach soccer, beach football in Europe and the List of transcontinental countries#A ...
officials said no action was being considered against
Olympiacos F.C. Olympiacos Football Club ( ), known simply as Olympiacos or Olympiacos Piraeus, is a Greek professional Association football, football club based in Piraeus. Part of the major Sports club, multi-sport club Olympiacos CFP (''Olympiakós Sýnde ...
regarding its participation in the Champions League of the following season. On 23 August 2011, Olympiacos Volos and Kavala ultimately didn't get the license to participate and were relegated to
Delta Ethniki Delta Ethniki () was the fourth level of Greek football championship. During the period of its existence, it was the lowest national division of the Greek championship. It was founded in the 1982–83 season and abolished in the 2012–13 season, ...
for their involvement in the scandal. In February 2012, the
Super League Greece The Super League Greece 1 (), or Stoiximan Super League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Greece and the highest level of the Greek football league system. The league was formed on 16 July 2006 and repla ...
with the agreement of the
Hellenic Football Federation The Hellenic Football Federation (HFF), (), is the governing body of football in Greece. It contributes in the organisation of Super League Greece 2. It is also responsible for the organization of the Greek Cup, Gamma Ethniki (3rd ranked men's f ...
achieved the replacement of the two football prosecutors (Fakos, Antonakakis) with two others (Petropoulos, Karras). The scandal investigation has stopped and never resumed ever since. In September 2012, the
Hellenic Football Federation The Hellenic Football Federation (HFF), (), is the governing body of football in Greece. It contributes in the organisation of Super League Greece 2. It is also responsible for the organization of the Greek Cup, Gamma Ethniki (3rd ranked men's f ...
decided the return Olympiacos Volos to the second division.


Judicial process

In 2013, the first trial took place, which found guilty officials Makis Psomiadis and Thomas Mitropoulos. On 18 March 2016,
Panathinaikos FC Panathinaikos Football Club ( ), known as Panathinaikos, or by its full name, and the name of its parent sports club, Panathinaikos A.O. or PAO (; ''Panathinaïkós Athlitikós Ómilos'', ), is a Greek professional Association football, footbal ...
President Giannis Alafouzos sued judges Tziblakis and Poulios for the Koriopolis case. In the end, only Giorgos Tsakogiannis was convicted of illegal betting on a continuous basis and for participation in an illegal bet.


See also

* 2015 Greek football scandal * Golden Whistle: Portuguese football corruption scandal *
Calciopoli ''Calciopoli'' () was a sports scandal in Italy's top professional association football league Serie A, and to a lesser extent, Serie B. The scandal centered on the manipulation of referee appointments to favor certain clubs during the 2004- ...
* Brazilian football match-fixing scandal * 2005 Bundesliga scandal * 2011 Turkish sports corruption scandal


References

{{Football in Greece 2010–11 in Greek football 2011–12 in Greek football Super League Greece Sports betting scandals Match fixing in association football Corruption in Greece Sports scandals in Greece UEFA Europa League controversies and incidents