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oct 21 2026Greek basketball is experiencing its biggest scandal in years. Vangelis Liolios, president of the Hellenic Basketball Federation (EOK), was arrested Wednesday afternoon as part of a judicial investigation into alleged match manipulation and bribery. He is not alone. The court has issued six arrest warrants against people from the federation and refereeing circles, and according to Greek media, at least three other suspects are already in custody.
The warrants target three referees, a referee administrator or advisor, a businessman who was formerly an athlete, and Liolios himself. The investigation, led by Athens' sports prosecution office, has been ongoing for approximately three months and examines incidents dating back at least five years, spanning both the top division and other competitions in the country.
€820,000 in cash found at referee's home
The most striking detail emerged from police searches. According to Greek media outlet SDNA, police found €820,000 in cash with no documented source in a safe at a referee's residence in Katerini, in the north of the country. The case file includes testimonies, complaints, and messages between Greek basketball officials.
According to BasketNews, the suspects were summoned to provide explanations but failed to appear. The case then went to an investigating judge, who signed the warrants with the prosecution's approval after determining there was a flight risk and the possibility that those still active could commit further crimes. Ole.gr traces the origin of the proceedings to complaints filed months ago by Maroussi, a top-tier Greek club.
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Panathinaikos demands accountability
The first major reaction came from Panathinaikos. The Athens-based club, which has been at odds with the refereeing and federation establishment for years, released a statement describing a "regime of corruption" and announcing it will pursue legal action to recover what it believes it has lost. Among its complaints, it cites lost titles, games played behind closed doors in an arena the club itself pays for, hundreds of thousands of euros in fines, and sanctions against its owner, Dimitris Giannakopoulos, who was even banned from watching his team.
Liolios has presided over the Federation since September 2021 and was reelected in 2024. He is one of the most influential figures in Greek basketball and was previously linked to Promitheas Patras. Like all those under investigation, he is presumed innocent until convicted, and so far it has not been specified which games could be affected or the degree of responsibility of each person involved.
