I've been quiet on this issue partly due to the passing of Van't Schip's sister, but also because I wanted to wait and see more of the facts. It's been revealed in a report that aired on a Marinakis owned TV channel that Savvidis is also the owner of Xanthi's stadium and training ground via a what appears to be a shell company.
These allegations aren't new. Last May, Georgios Georgiou, a well-known journalist/pundit, had to step down as president of Apollon Smyrna after he made claims that Savvidis owned both Xanthi and Panetolikos.
Savvidis denies that he and/or any of his relatives own Xanthi, but questionable links do exist. It's worth stressing that this past summer Grammenos had attempted to provide a legal basis for multiple club ownership in Greece, but FIFA questioned it and ultimately the move failed. It would now seem that whatever arrangement Savvidis has with Xanthi might have been the impetus that spurred the EPO in their attempt to legalize such an arrangement.
I doubt PAOK or Xanthi will be relegated, due to political reasons. I also think the claim against Savvidis isn't strong enough to hold up in court. The PAOK fan base is already decrying it as a conspiracy against their club, and for all I know that may be true. Marinakis and Savvidis have a lot of bad blood between them. I do think Xanthi will need to find new owners for their facilities and that their president, as well any board member connected to Savvidis, will have to step down. This arrangement does look suspicious and raises serious questions. More troubling, however, is that this adds more fuel to the fire that Grammenos is a Savvidis-man. The fact he tried to make legal what Savvidis stands now accused of is very fishy.
These allegations aren't new. Last May, Georgios Georgiou, a well-known journalist/pundit, had to step down as president of Apollon Smyrna after he made claims that Savvidis owned both Xanthi and Panetolikos.
Savvidis denies that he and/or any of his relatives own Xanthi, but questionable links do exist. It's worth stressing that this past summer Grammenos had attempted to provide a legal basis for multiple club ownership in Greece, but FIFA questioned it and ultimately the move failed. It would now seem that whatever arrangement Savvidis has with Xanthi might have been the impetus that spurred the EPO in their attempt to legalize such an arrangement.
I doubt PAOK or Xanthi will be relegated, due to political reasons. I also think the claim against Savvidis isn't strong enough to hold up in court. The PAOK fan base is already decrying it as a conspiracy against their club, and for all I know that may be true. Marinakis and Savvidis have a lot of bad blood between them. I do think Xanthi will need to find new owners for their facilities and that their president, as well any board member connected to Savvidis, will have to step down. This arrangement does look suspicious and raises serious questions. More troubling, however, is that this adds more fuel to the fire that Grammenos is a Savvidis-man. The fact he tried to make legal what Savvidis stands now accused of is very fishy.
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