Super League Greece continues to be plagued with problems at the administrative level. This week, league members had a meeting to discuss a proposal by the Greek Deputy Minister of Sports, Giorgos Vasiliadis, to determine the number of participating teams in the two top-tier leagues (Super League, Football League) and their reduction from 16 to 12 for better financial sustainability.
The meeting was fruitless, and the members of the League failed to reach a solid agreement.
In particular, when asked about the deputy minister’s proposal to reduce the teams from 16 to 14 in the next season and from 14 to 12 in the 2020/2021 season, they seemed to only agree with the first part, keeping in mind that not being able to participate in the country’s top league could mean a huge hit for the financials of the clubs by missing out on broadcasting deals.
Seeing this response from the club owners, the minister released a statement in which he pointed out the reasons that the team reduction was vital for the financial survival of the league, and made it clear that he would not be entering into any further negotiations about the matter.
“The proposal that was made to you, had, a purpose to achieve financial consolidation and establish a climate of reliability, among the members of your organisation and the sports community in general,” reads the statement, outlining a basic set of rules that would mark reform and create a climate of “financial security” and “healthy competition” among 24 professional teams.
“At the same time, through the public broadcaster, the reformed and restructured Greek championship would enter the houses of all Greeks within the country but also in the diaspora,” the minister stressed. “With your recent decision and your proposal towards us, although you do reveal your will for the institutional interventions (…) you nonetheless fail to address the financial issues (…). The existence of more than 12 teams demands either more funds, which are unavailable, or a reduced guaranteed broadcast rights revenue, something that would render the proposal essentially ineffective.”
The minister’s statement, which many perceived as an ultimatum, concludes with a call for cooperation between all stakeholders, including the Greek Football Association, UEFA, and the ministry, to “upgrade athletic infratstructure,” to “set barriers against violence,” and to plan for a “future with financial security that would bring growth and allow for the public to return to the stadiums.”
In the meantime, the Super League is supposed to begin on 25 August, and the draw has yet to be made.