Shocking sanctions impending for Melissanidis and AEK following Aris report

“Monstrous” accusations for acts of abuse against the delegation members were included in half-time Aris report, in which Dimitris Melissanidis was specifically mentioned, along with his protective “escort” -this time of eight (8) men.

The evening’s host in OAKA is directly accused of attacking Aris delegates with his guards in the dressing room area, far away from indiscrete viewers, exercising physical and verbal violence to them and in particular Mr. Niarchakos, whom they were furiously looking for and finally spotted.

AEK’s leak in reply what was a really serious report by Aris was nothing but insufficient to the point of ridiculous, fails to properly comment on the accusations, adds insult to injury and, essentially, gives us nothing since they have nothing to say.

In fact, Aris FC President Thodoros Karipidis reported that, after the end of the match, when he called Mr. Melissanidis to complain for his behaviour, he was treated with offenses and insults on the phone, which is a case falling under Article 19 of EPO (Hellenic Football Association) Disciplinary Code on “threats against club officials”.

It is with great interest that competent football and state bodies (that is the police and the match observer) are expected to react; there are hard facts here, ones that have not been confuted, therefore logic suggests that must have been included in their respective reports by both the observer appointed by the League and the head of on-site police forces.

If the League’s observer confirms Aris accusations than AEK will have to walk down a really bumpy road, since denouncement against AEK owner and his escorts fall under EPO Disciplinary Code’s art. 20 dealing with cases of violence exercised on match officials, appointed football-related staff or visiting team’s Board members.

In the same article 20 and, more specifically, in par. 1, exercise of violence, both physical and verbal, against FC Board members is considered even more incriminating when this individual perpetrator or instigator of the attack against visiting FC Board members is a Board member of the home club.

In this case, the protagonist of these acts of violence should be punished with life-long exclusion from football, he is forbidden to be involved with football anymore and the Club itself, whose Board member this person is, faces penalties that range from host matches played behind closed doors to being relegated, depending on the magnitude of the incident and the degree of violence exercised either by the perpetrator or instigator.

The significance of Code’s Article 20 weighs a lot when dealing with violent manifestations against visiting FC Board members; this is why reports by the match observer and head of police bear increased importance in drawing up the lists charges against the protagonists mentioned by name in the accusations.

It is reminded that it was in the very same stadium and dressing room area that back in February 2020 during a Greek Cup match, that the same AEK executive, Dimitris Melissanidis, has been accused by the Portuguese assistant referee for physical attack, insults and twisting his genitals.

In fact, then, in order to go on with the fixture’s second half, it was former President of KED (Central Refereeing Committee), infamous Perreiera, who intervened and ask his fellow compatriots to “forget” what happened, go on the pitch to play the second half and finish the match.

For that proven act of his, Dimitris Melissanidis has been sentenced with a 6-month prohibition to enter football stadiums, and this applied also in the Greek Cup final in Volos.

It seems that Football prosecutor Spyropoulos will have a lot of work in the coming days, accusations are very serious and remain unanswered to date, so it is clear that, on the prosecutor’s initiative, they should be reviewed by the League’s and EPO’s competent bodies.