Promoted Gamma Ethniki clubs protest restructure



Seven out of the eight promoted Gamma Ethniki clubs released a statement protesting the restructuring of Greece’s football leagues and threatened to abstain from next year’s championship. On Monday, the eight runner-ups found out their opponents in the promotion playoffs.

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With the restructuring of Greece’s football leagues, the transition resulted in multiple injustices for various clubs in the Super League, Football League, and Gamma Ethniki. The sides that earned promotion from this year’s Gamma Ethniki to next year’s Football League feel stripped of their hard work this season.

Despite being promoted to the 2019/20 Football League, these eight clubs (plus the four playoff winners) will be competing in the Greek third division once again as opposed to the second division (the new Super League 2). In essence, these teams will have to gain promotion on two more occasions to reach the glorious Super League.

This year’s Gamma Ethniki consisted of eight groups with the eight group winners gaining automatic ‘promotion’ to the Football League while the eight runner-ups will compete in a playoff for four additional tickets to next year’s Football League (see below).

In an act of protest, seven out of the eight automatic promoted sides (Veria did not take part), including Kavala, Egaleo, Aspropyrgos, Olympiacos Volou, Ierapetra, Ialysos, and Kronos Argyradon, released a statement with a list of specific demands, including the postponement of the restructuring. The clubs threatened that if these demands are not met, they will abstain from next year’s championship (the Football League).

Dear gentlemen, we also have a voice. All the more so than a few of us have written history in Greek football.

As a result, we don't need ‘others,’ who seek their own interests, to make arrangements for us. Regarding the restructure no one asked us anything. The plan you all have proposed, we repudiate mainly due to economical concerns.

In a snapshot from the meeting that took place between the representatives of the league’s champions, the travel expenses, the referees, and high fines/fees, exceed the little amount of money you intend to give us.

We propose a second division with two groups, not only for the league to have interest and fans, but also to justify our clubs’ struggles. We spent enormous amounts of money in a time of crises, to star in the league and in the end, to accomplish our goals. We will not be the only ones ‘paying’ while others sit back and collect money.

We ask:

For the restructure to be postponed The support of all the amateur clubs in the country affected by this, either those that won their championships and will not gain promotion, or those that are being relegated two categories (i.e. the bottom four teams from this year’s Football League). A meeting with the board of the Hellenic Football Federation (EPO). A meeting with the Deputy Minister of Sport, Georgios Vasiliadis, to explain our thinking, which we deem fair.

Otherwise, we will not compete in the next championship.

Promotion playoff draw held on Monday

On Monday, the eight group runner-ups found out their opponents for the promotion playoffs. For the draw, the eight clubs were separated into two groups of four based on geographic location. The draw produced a total of four playoff pairs with the four winners earning a ticket to next year’s Football League.

The first leg matches will take place on May 5th while the return legs will be held one week later on May 12th.

Below are the four playoff pairs:

Triglia - Nestos Chrysoupolis

Niki Volou - Thesprotos

Diagoras Rodou - Kalamata

Aiolikos - Ionikos