OFI Crete President Nikos Machlas labeled the Greek Super League as a "wretched championship" after the crisis-hit club was "forced to withdraw from Greece's top flight on Saturday because of mounting debts," according to Graham Wood of REUTERS. OFI has repeatedly "broken league rules since the start of the season by failing to pay players and the situation forced former Italian coach Gennaro Gattuso to quit in January." Machlas: "The masks have slipped off. ... OFI is the easy victim for other clubs to stay up comfortably. We have seen the Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) decide against ... us to finish the championship with a bit of decency. ... We can escape the rot of soccer to become once again the team that everyone enjoys. ... It’s a shame that the team is leaving the league, but on the other hand it is with satisfaction that we see the team leave this wretched championship." OFI’s withdrawal "leaves Greece’s top flight with 16 teams, as cash-strapped Niki Volou were relegated for financial reasons by the league's disciplinary committee in January" (REUTERS, 3/21).
