Greece "moved a step closer to a ban" by FIFA and UEFA on Wednesday as talks between the two organizations and the government over state involvement in the sport "ended with no agreement," according to Graham Wood of REUTERS. A delegation from FIFA and UEFA, along with the Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) met with Greece Deputy Minister for Sport Stavros Kontonis. The delegation was "hoping to resolve differences with the government and avert a potential ban" or "Grexit," as it has been dubbed by local media, after Kontonis canceled this season's Greek Cup because of crowd violence. FIFA and UEFA have given Kontonis a deadline of April 1 to "reinstate the competition." Cyprus FA President and FIFA Delegation Head Costakis Koutsokoumnis said, "The cup must be completed. ... I hope that we will... be in a position to give a one-week extension to the deadline for the minister to change his decision. But I fear that this will not happen." Kontonis has said that "no decision on reinstating the cup will be made until the EPO's appeal against the move is heard by the Supreme Court on April 5" (REUTERS, 3/30).
