Greek Deputy Sports Minister Stavros Kontonis will "not reverse a decision to cancel this season's domestic cup" due to crowd violence, despite running "the risk of the country's teams being barred from playing in Europe." FIFA and UEFA sent a letter to Greek authorities last Friday requesting they "reinstate the Greek Cup by April 1" after the tournament was canceled by the government earlier this month "because of crowd trouble at a match." Kontonis said, "I hope it is understood that the Greek government has no intervention of altering the decision to cancel the Greek Cup competition due to its exhaustive efforts in trying to protect basic social rights such as public order and social peace. We declare yet again that the Greek government fully respects the self-governing function of sports federations and is not intervening in the administration, nor on issues related to sports" (REUTERS, 3/23).
FOOTBALL BRIEFS ...
Former Cayman Islands FA Secretary General Costas Takkas pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to U.S. charges that he "participated in bribery schemes" under investigation at FIFA. Takkas, who was extradited from Switzerland, pleaded not guilty in federal court in Brooklyn, N.Y., to charges that include "engaging in conspiracies to commit racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering." U.S. Attorney’s Office spokesperson Nellin McIntosh said that he was released on a $1M bond and will be "under house arrest in Miami" (REUTERS, 3/23).
IN SPAIN: The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) decided at an extraordinary general assembly to approve of an electoral rule that sets the presidential election for the last quarter of the year. Approved statutes "will allow for a reduction from 180 to 140 voters, with a cut to the number of clubs." In the first vote, 125 members voted in favor, 24 voted against and two abstained. In the second vote, 126 were in favor, with 26 against and one abstention (EL CONFIDENCIAL, 3/22).
More than 2,000 Real Madrid members, who had their season tickets confiscated because they were reselling some tickets, are "considering taking legal action to recover their season tickets." Sources said that the club "wants to become the only entity that is able to sell tickets when they are not going to be used by their owners" (AS, 3/23).
