Greek basketball rocked by major match-fixing and bribery scandal

A massive investigation into match-fixing and corruption in Greek basketball has led to the issuance of six arrest warrants, including one for the President of the Hellenic Basketball Federation, Vangelis Liolios. Authorities are probing allegations of bribery, including a specific case where a referee allegedly accepted 5,000 euros to influence a game. Former referee Petros Papapetrou has been ordered to remain in custody after 820,000 euros in cash were discovered at his residence, despite his claims that the funds were derived from legitimate employment. Two protected witnesses, including former club owner Vangelis Tsapas, have provided crucial testimonies detailing how officials manipulated match results and exerted pressure on players and teams between 2018 and 2026.

The scandal has triggered sharp public exchanges between top club owners. Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos has publicly linked current leadership to the investigation, prompting defensive responses from Olympiacos, which denied any involvement and accused Giannakopoulos of attempting to exert improper influence. Meanwhile, AEK BC has issued a strong statement condemning the irregularities that they claim to have flagged years ago. As the investigation continues, authorities are expected to execute further arrests of additional referees identified in the case files, as the sport grapples with the potential for systemic reform and the fallout from these widespread revelations.