Gagatsis resigns from EPO presidency

Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) president Vassilis Gagatsis reportedly resigned on Thursday afternoon at the EPO board meeting. His successor will be elected at the extraordinary meeting to take place on January 10, the board decided.

His resignation had been expected over the last couple of weeks as he stands accused in two separate cases of illegally funding two football clubs in the prefecture where the then Deputy Minister for Sports, Giorgos Lianis was elected, and of forging the signature of the EPO vice-president Thanassis Kanellopoulos.

His trials are set to begin in January.

Gagatsis leaves his post after seven and a half years, a period marked by the triumph in the 2004 European Championship, but also by strong controversy regarding the quality of Greek football in terms of infrastructure, refereeing and above all the alleged favorable treatment of certain clubs.

The public discontent toward him resulted in his constant jeering on the day after the Euro 2004 final at the reception of the winners at the Panathenaic Stadium.

He was reelected at his post just two months ago, on October 4.

The candidates to replace him are Sofoklis Pilavios, the EPO international relations director and a former Panathinaikos official who has recently built bridges with Olympiakos, too, and Viktoras Mitropoulos, the former president of the league whose brother owns lower league clubs such as Egaleo, Haidari and Ilisiakos.

12.12.2008