Greek federation president is suing Dimitris Giannakopoulos for defamation / News - Basketnews.com

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Two weeks afterPanathinaikos OPAP Athens' owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos broke into Vangelis Liolios' office protesting over the officiating at the Greens' Greek League games, another episode has been added to the feud between the two men.

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The president of the Greek Basketball Federation hosted a press conference in the federation's offices, where he referred to the recent developments in the Greek league. Several teams have not received a license in order to be able to participate in the next campaign, with AEK Athens and Aris Thessaloniki being at the forefront.

During the presser, Vangelis Liolios revealed that he had filed a lawsuit against Dimitris Giannakopoulos for defamation.

"There is a tsunami of evidence for illegal betting on basketball. Their mastermind is the president of the Greek Basketball Federation, while many players and referees are in the supporting cast," Panathinaikos' owner wrote in an Instagram story on June 17.

A few minutes prior to today's presser, newbomb.gr, a website owned by Giannakopoulos, reported that Marios Kanellopoulos, a Greek league referee, is currently working at a company in which Vangelis Liolios is president and CEO.

Liolios stressed that he condemns Giannakopoulos' comments, adding that him taking legal action has nothing to do with Panathinaikos as a club.

"While I was in FIBA offices last Friday morning, Dimitris Giannakopoulos issued an incredible announcement slandering my name. I've had such attacks in the past, but I wasn't interested and never responded to anything. It was clear he didn't want me as president," Liolios pointed out.

The former Promitheas Patras owner, who will complete a full year at the federation's chair next September, said that he knew very well where he was coming toand what was going to happen.

"I've said that Greek basketball is like a table. Every institution has its own chair - the federation, the league, the referees, the journalists, the fans. Coming to this position, I had made a decision: for Greek basketball to change, you have to break the table and put it back together so that everyone finds their role based on principles, values, and the law," Liolios stressed before further addressing his dispute with Giannakopoulos.

"I don't react to anything. But it's different if Mr. Giannakopoulos refers to the president of the Greek Basketball Federation. The president is not a person but an institution and cannot be touched.

It goes without saying that I filed a lawsuit against Mr. Giannakopoulos because I do not want anyone to offend the president."

Credit Promitheas Patras

The 55-year-old businessman said he would take further legal action against PAO's owner, asking for a large sum which will be directed to the local basketball unions.

However, Liolios clarified that Panathinaikos as an organization is a huge part of Greek society.

"A lot of players who have honored Greece, like Alvertis, Diamantidis, Tsartsaris, Papapetrou, and Papagiannis, have sprung from that club, in addition to Pavlos and Thanasis Giannakopoulos.

The federation has a duty to distinguish the organization of Panathinaikos from the person. I condemn this conduct as defamation. You know I have never been convicted of libel, but others have," Liolios said.

Liolios also underlined that he doesn't intend to pay attention to anything that will be written against him in the future.

"Of course, the federation's legal service will deal with it," he concluded.

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