Maximou Calls on Giannakopoulos and Angelopoulos with Zero Tolerance Message: The Backstage of the Decision to Postpone the Third Final of Basket League

The government remains steadfast in its stance that the Basketball League championship will only be completed if the owners of the professional athletic clubs meet tomorrow, Wednesday (June 4, 2025), at 3 PM in the office of Deputy Minister of Sports Yiannis Broutsis and provide explicit assurances for the smooth conduct of matches. ‘Nothing has changed for us,’ was the comment from a government official after the refusals yesterday by Dimitris Giannakopoulos of Panathinaikos and George and Panagiotis Angelopoulos of Olympiacos to sit at the same table with Yiannis Broutsis, who had called them for a meeting aimed at an agreement binding both sides. The chaotic scene Sunday night at SEF during the basketball match Olympiacos – Panathinaikos in the context of the second final of the Basketball League caused intense frustration at the Maximos Mansion. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis instructed the government to show no tolerance. Immediate measures were demanded, calling on the ownerships of the two teams to ensure similar incidents do not recur, and if they fail to comply, the championship will be suspended. The government, inspired by the positive results of legislative initiatives and interventions for safety in football fields post the unjust death of police officer Lygeridis in December 2023, aims to send a strict message that safety and legality in professional sports are non-negotiable.