Olympiakos say ‘no wrongdoing’ after UEFA investigation

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Piraeus (Greece) (AFP) – Greek champions Olympiakos on Thursday said that an investigation into the club by European football’s governing body UEFA has found no wrongdoing.

Olympiakos responded with a statement after a report by Britain’s Press Association revealed that the club’s owner, shipping magnate Evangelos Marinakis, was being investigated in relation to match-fixing allegations.

“Olympiakos has informed UEFA about the case and is continuing informing them step by step. It is known to everyone that UEFA has examined the information received and concluded that there is no evidence that implicates Olympiakos,” the statement by the club said.

An Athens prosecutor suggested Tuesday that Marinakis be held in custody before he stands trial for his alleged involvement in the establishment of a criminal gang which fixed football matches.

Prosecutor Stamatis Daskalopoulos said that Marinakis, 49, violated an existing order that banned him from getting involved in football activities until his trial and thus should be taken into custody.

The Press Association quoted a UEFA spokesman as saying that an official request has been sent in order to get a copy of the report issued by Daskalopoulos.

A court decision on Daskalopoulos’ proposals is expected within a few days.

Marinakis lashed out at Daskalopoulos saying that his action “is directed against Olympiakos and my activity in the team’s progress.”

“The prosecutor’s proposal will be judged by the Athens Appeals Court in the coming months. I expect a fair judgement by an impartial, independent and free judiciary,” Marinakis said in a statement on the Olympiakos website.

Marinakis said that he would take legal action against Daskalopoulos as well as make a disciplinary report to the proper authorities.

The Olympiakos owner has recently tried to gain a majority share in English club Notthingham Forest and over the weekend secured one of four national television licenses with a bid of 73 million euros ($ 82.1 million, £61.2 million).

Last year, Marinakis was ordered to post 200,000 euros bail and banned from participating in football related activities until a trial is held.

He faces charges for his alleged involvement in the establishment of a criminal gang which fixed matches between 2011 and 2013.

Marinakis has spent six years at the helm of Olympiakos. The Piraeus club have won the league title six seasons in a row.

Besides Marinakis, 27 other people have been recommended by Daskalopoulos to face trial, including former Hellenic Football Federation president Giorgos Sarris, former owners of clubs, referees and players.

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Franz Beckenbauer under investigation amid corruption allegations

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Geneva (AFP) – Swiss federal prosecutors on Thursday announced that they had opened criminal proceedings against German legend Franz Beckenbauer amid corruption allegations in the awarding of the 2006 World Cup to Germany.

Beckenbauer, 70, is under investigation with three other members of the 2006 World Cup organising committee — Hans-Rudolf Schmidt, Theo Zwanziger and Wolfgang Niersbach — said the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland in Bern.

The Swiss court also announced that searches had taken place on Thursday at eight unnamed locations, in collaboration with German and Austrian authorities.

“The proceedings relate in particular to allegations of fraud, criminal mismanagement, money laundering and misappropriation,” the office said in a statement.

“The suspects were members of the executive board of the organising committee for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.”

When contacted, Beckenbauer’s management would give no comment to SID, an AFP subsidiary, with criminal prosecution now threatening their client for the first time.

Under Swiss law, criminal mismanagement is punishable with a fine or, in special cases, imprisonment of between three to five years.

Niersbach and Zwanziger are both former German Football Association presidents and Schmidt is a former general secretary.

Both Zwanziger and Schmidt said they knew “nothing about” the new developments when contacted by SID.

“I have no further knowledge, but will, however, attempt to get some clarity through my lawyer,” Niersbach told SID.

All four were members of Germany’s World Cup organising committee, with Beckenbauer its president.

Beckenbauer captained Germany to the 1974 World Cup and coached the side that won the trophy in Italy in 1990.

German magazine Der Spiegel claimed in October 2015 a secret fund of 10 million Swiss francs ($ 10 million) was used to buy the hosting rights of the 2006 World Cup. 

The money allegedly came from the late Robert Louis-Dreyfus, ex-boss of Adidas, at Beckenbauer’s request, and was handed over in 2000, just before Germany were awarded the 2006 finals by a narrow vote. 

In May, an independent inquiry commissioned by the German Football Association (DFB) said it could not rule out that Germany bought votes to secure the 2006 World Cup.

Beckenbauer has always denied any wrongdoing.

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