Major match-fixing scandal rocks Greek basketball
On October 21, 2026, Greek authorities executed six arrest warrants as part of a major investigation into a systemic match-fixing scandal affecting various levels of basketball, from school championships to the elite division. The detainees, including Vangelis Liolios (President of the Hellenic Basketball Federation), three referees—Vasiliki Tsaroucha, Petros Papapetrou, and Tasos Piloidis—chief referee Ilias Koromilas, and businessman Giorgos Mavraganis, appeared in court on October 22 and requested a three-day extension to prepare their statements. Law enforcement seized 931,463 euros in cash, mobile devices, laptops, and USB drives from the suspects' residences.
The investigation, which covers alleged corruption over the past decade, includes incriminating text messages regarding specific game outcomes and accusations of bribery. Notably, Ukrainian referee Borys Ryzhyk and Mykola Ambrosov have alleged that Ilias Koromilas attempted to bribe officials during the 2021 Eurocup final. While Olympiacos and Panathinaikos were reportedly not involved in the investigated matches, games involving PAOK, Aris, AEK, and Promitheas Patras between 2018 and 2026 are under scrutiny.
In response to the scandal, Sports Minister Giannis Vroutsis suspended state funding for the Hellenic Basketball Federation and ordered an urgent fiscal audit by the National Transparency Authority and the Ministry of National Economy. The defendants remain in custody as they prepare their defense for upcoming court proceedings.