Panathinaikos president banned from Greek arenas for the rest of the season and handed a hefty fine

A single social media post was enough to earn Dimitris Giannakopoulos a 10-month ban. The Panathinaikos owner will not be allowed to set foot in any sports arena in Greece.

After referees were arrested, Giannakopoulos gloated on social media, and it has cost him dearly. Olympiacos filed a complaint against him with the league’s disciplinary and sports judge.

“Something completely untrue and defamatory is presented as fact, namely that our team allegedly took part in or was complicit in the crimes that referee Vaso Karoucha is accused of, relating to the manipulation of basketball games, and that our team was favoured by or benefited from the alleged commission of these acts,” Olympiacos said.

In addition to the ten-month ban from attending games, Giannakopoulos was fined €60,000, while Panathinaikos were fined €30,000 “on the basis of strict liability.”