Former basketball club owner Vangelis Tsapas reveals bribery network and intimidation in Greek match-fixing scandal
Vangelis Tsapas, former owner and president of basketball clubs, told MEGA he was part of the match-fixing scheme and is now cooperating with authorities to expose the corruption.
In a televised interview, former basketball club owner Vangelis Tsapas confessed to being a participant in the widespread match-fixing operation that has shaken Greek sport. He explained that he accepted money from B. Lilios to help promote a team that the former EOΚ president favored, and that he later decided to cooperate with authorities to halt the expanding corruption. Tsapas detailed a network centered on Lilios that relied on bribes, gifts, clandestine hotel meetings and intimidation of officials, naming referee Vasiliki Tsaroucha as a tool of the scheme.
He recounted a specific incident where Παναγιώτης Γιαννάκης was expelled from a game after a cash hand-over, and described his role in arranging a lucrative three-year contract for Γιώργος Μπόγρης. Tsapas also cited other figures such as K. Koromilas and highlighted the systemic nature of the abuse, urging that the revelations could finally stop the malpractice.
Why it matters
The testimony exposes deep corruption that threatens the fairness and reputation of Greek basketball.
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