For the past three months, Panathinaikos BC OPAP has witnessed the total collapse of Greek Basketball. After the despicable announcements of Olympiacos BC against the Greek referrees and especially Anastopoulos, hundreds of Olympiakos' hooligans gathered around his home threatening and assaulting both him and his family! As a result, the referree decided not to participate in a match where Olympiakos would play, since his life was in danger!
After all Panathinaikos BC OPAP released the following announcement:
"PANATHINAIKOS BC announces that it abstains from all basketball games, as of today’s match against Kimi and until lawfulness and not the terrorism and lawlessness that Olympiacos BC tries to impose with the tolerance of the state bodies prevails again.
Over the last few months and mainly during the last days, we have been watching the terrorist and blackmail efforts of Olympiacos BC’ executives, along with the indifference of the competent Ministers and sports judges. They make it clear to us that terrorism and blackmail prevail over the Laws and Regulations, which they have co-signed.
The leading Greek Club, respecting their history, the fans, the sweat of their athletes and the investments in effort, time and resources by the Management until attribution of responsibilities and the exemplary punishment of perpetrators, Giorgos and Panagiotis Angelopoulos and the Club having “It is Us or Nobody” as their moto, will abstain from any organization.
Panathinaikos cannot stay emotionless towards the actions of two spoiled children who, in order to cover their own problems, wanted the season to end as early as possible in any way and at all costs – even putting human lives in danger.
The Sports Law is clear. Angelopoulos brothers must be banned from engaging with sports and this is a punishment that they are possible to seek.
In addition:
We call the Prime Minister of the country to relieve the insufficient Deputy Minister of Sports of his duties, who for five days keeps playing the role of Pontius Pilate with great success and does not assume any responsibility to ensure lawfulness in the Greek Championship.
Since the Greek State and the institutional bodies cannot ensure the egalitarianism and safety of the participants, Panathinaikos BC, with a sense of responsibility towards the millions of the Club’s fans, decided to abstain and at the same time stand against the perpetrators of terrorism, as well as their accomplices.
We request the exemplary punishment of the well-known moral and physical perpetrators, the phenomena of terrorism against the referee Anastopoulos, as well as the immediate restoration of order.
Until then, Panathinaikos BC refuses to participate in the Championship-parody where the only rule in force is the rule of terrorism.
In a country where “Olympiacos is the State”, Panathinaikos has no place. Let the State decide whether it wants a Sports Environment with those struggling in every way and at all costs for lawfulness or those who pursue lawlessness and terrorism.
It is us or them."
