Owner of powerhouse Greek soccer club AEK Athens FC, Dimitris Melissanidis, has sold the club to fellow shipowner Marios Iliopoulos.
Announcing the news in a statement on the club website, Melissanidis thanked the AEK fans for their support and revealed he’s moving on.
Melissanidis, founder of Aegean Shipping, said he is stepping back for age and health reasons after reaching all the goals he had set for himself for the club.
He acquired the club in 2013, when they were in third division, brought it back from relegation, leading it to two national championships and completing the construction of its brand-new football stadium.
“We started from zero and brought AEK to where she should be.”
Iliopoulos is co-founder and CEO of SeaJets, one of Greece’s leading high-speed ferry companies.
A former rally race driver who is active in charity, Iliopoulos is not free from the controversy caused by the sinking of the 150,000-dwt Brillante Virtuoso (built 1992) — a ship he owned, according to TradeWinds.
A book was written about the case and there has been talks to turn it into a TV film.
The two men also held a joint press conference on Monday afternoon, where Melissanidis revealed he had received offers from overseas investment funds but did not want to leave the club in hands of people “he did not know”.
As for Iliopoulos, he stated he was all in to help AEK win championships.
“I will give my soul, my mind… my whole being to conquer titles,” he said.
The total sale price has not been announced however, a Greek sports website said the club changed hands for 90 million Euros (over $146.8m AUD).
