Arrests issued for Greek Basketball Federation president and officials over match-fixing

On Wednesday, October 21, 2026, Greek authorities issued arrest warrants for Vangelis Liolios, the president of the Hellenic Basketball Federation (EOK), and five other individuals. The group reportedly includes three referees, a chief arbitration advisor, and a former athlete turned businessman. The arrests follow a detailed investigation by the sports prosecutor into allegations of match-fixing spanning at least the last five years across various tiers of Greek basketball.

The investigation was sparked by testimonies, formal complaints, and digital evidence, including text messages provided by industry participants. Prosecutors allege that the accused engaged in bribery and corruption to manipulate match outcomes. During the inquiry, authorities reportedly discovered significant, unexplained sums of money in the possession of the involved parties. While most sources identify the actions as the issuance of arrest warrants, some reports state that Liolios was arrested on Wednesday afternoon.

The case has been transferred to an investigator, with the accused expected to provide formal explanations to the court starting tomorrow. This development marks a major crisis for the governance of Greek basketball as the legal process moves into the interrogation phase.