Greek basketball federation chief resigns amid match-fixing probe, successor named
- Vangelis Liolios denies allegations after arrest; federation unanimously appoints Angelos Papanikolaou as new president
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- Vangelis Liolios denies allegations after arrest; federation unanimously appoints Angelos Papanikolaou as new president
By Efe Ozkan
ISTANBUL (AA) - Vangelis Liolios resigned as president of the Hellenic Basketball Federation (EOK) on Sunday amid an investigation into alleged match-fixing, bribery and violations of sports legislation, Greek media reported.
The federation's board unanimously appointed Angelos Papanikolaou as his successor during an emergency meeting, according to Greek news outlet Ekathimerini.
Liolios was among six people arrested Wednesday as part of the investigation into alleged wrongdoing in Greek basketball.
He submitted his resignation while appearing before an investigating magistrate, saying he wanted to allow the judicial process to proceed without disruption and Greek basketball to move forward.
Liolios denied the allegations during testimony lasting approximately three and a half hours.
He said his decision was also intended to allow Greek basketball to move forward without being affected by the ongoing legal proceedings.
Earlier Sunday, the federation said it remained in "a state of absolute and constant alert" and was closely monitoring developments, pledging to take appropriate institutional action.
Papanikolaou previously challenged Liolios in the federation's 2021 presidential election, finishing third behind former basketball player Panagiotis Fasoulas and Liolios.
He was subsequently elected to the EOK board in 2025 as part of Liolios' slate.
Efe Özkan