Marinakis
Evangelos Marinakis denies the charges. Credit: Olympiacos FC, CC BY-SA 4.0/Wikipedia
Greek billionaire and Olympiacos football club president Vangelis Marinakis, along with four senior officials from the club’s administration, is set to face trial over sports violence and his alleged involvement in the murder of police officer Giorgos Lygeridis on December 7, 2023, by Olympiacos hooligans.
Marinakis is charged with supporting and financing a criminal organization and inciting sports violence.
In addition, more than 140 Olympiacos supporters will also stand trial in connection with the case.
Prosecutor accuses Marinakis of financing criminal organization
Last year, a prosecutor investigating the death of officer Giorgos Lyggeridis who was fatally injured by a naval flare during clashes with Olympiacos supporters is accused Marinakis and other prominent staff members of the Piraeus club of financing a criminal organization and inciting violence in sport.
Bringing the case against Marinakis, the prosecutor said: “Based on the detailed examination and assessment of the collected evidence, it follows that in addition to the obvious leadership, it cannot be ruled out that the criminal organization is managed, covertly and at the highest level, by the owner or executives of Olympiacos FC.”
The prosecutor is investigating the “invisible” leadership of the criminal organization made up of hard-core organized Olympiacos fans, several of whom have already been found guilty in the case.
Marinakis’ harsh attack on the Prime Minister and the Judiciary
Vangelis Marinakis, who is the second richest Greek according to Forbes, has issued a strong statement condemning the referral decision of the Judicial Council, accusing Prime Minister Mitsotakis and his allies in the media of attempting to blackmail and silence him by manipulating the judiciary.
He claims this is part of a coordinated effort to undermine freedom of the press, media independence, and democracy itself, particularly targeting his role and Olympiacos.
“This is a coordinated effort to silence me, but a hopeless one. It is not, after all, the first time that such an attempt has been made. Political and economic interests have unsuccessfully tried the same thing in the past through fabricated cases and accusations that fell with a bang,” Marinakis said.
Marinakis defends his stance on revealing government corruption and controlling power, asserting that such actions have drawn the ire of the current government, which he believes is descending into a more authoritarian regime.
“The obvious target is me and Olympiacos. But what they really seek is to harm Freedom of the Press, the independence of the media and ultimately Democracy itself,” he added.
“The message I am sending is one and clear: I am not afraid, I am not blackmailed, I am not negotiating, I am not giving in, I am not surrendering. The truth will shine again. Democracy will prevail. In the end, we will (as always) be victorious,” Marinakis stressed.
Sports violence in Greece
Greek football is plagued by endemic fan violence, which often spreads to the other sports, including basketball and volleyball, of the main clubs.
In August 2023, Michalis Katsouris, a fan of AEK Athens, was stabbed to death during a brawl with hooligan supporters of the Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb.
Police said nearly a hundred people were arrested after the violent clashes, which led European football’s governing body, UEFA, to postpone the Champions League qualifying third-round, first-leg match between the two sides.
In February 2022 in Thessaloniki, 19-year-old Alkis Kambanos was murdered by a gang of people, who attacked him and his friends in public out on the street. The assailants, supporters of the football club PAOK, asked Kambanos and his friends what football team they supported.
The answer did not satisfy them, and they proceeded to beat and stab Kambanos and his two friends.