Sharp criticism by Olympiacos FC against Baltakos, Bennett, Mantalos: ‘They’re again placing a ‘bomb’ in championship’s foundation’

Olympiacos FC immediately and sharply reacted this week after a new and unprecedented provocation in terms of Super League officiating, with the latest “miracle” by head referee Steve Bennett being his failure to appoint an elite-level referee for Sunday’s derby between Olympiakos and Panathinaikos Athens, at the latter’s Leoforos Alexandras home field.

Additionally, the “Reds” called on UEFA and FIFA to intervene against these disgraceful machinations.

In an announcement, the club points directly to a provocation and states:

“Baltakos, Bennett and Mantalos are again placing a ‘bomb’ in the championship’s foundation. By ignoring real football, the teams and what they requested, they appointed a referee who isn’t in the elite level, and comes from a league that is much more inferior than the Greek one,” the announcement states, referring to the president of the Greek football federation (EPO), the head referee and a member of EPO’s central officiating committee (KED).

“An agreement and the teams’ demand were clear: Elite-level referees in derbies and first division referees only if they are from the top 10 leagues!

“Despite all that preceded and despite Bennett’s ‘assurances’ that elite refs have agreed to come and officiate in the next three matches, they nevertheless appointed a lesser referee in the biggest Greek derby, and in the most crucial game so far in the Super League Championship this season.

“They couldn’t even find a referee from the 10 top leagues -because they didn’t want to. There’s no more room for words. We call on the supra-national FIFA and UEFA federations and the State to intervene against these disgraces and to appoint an elite referee, or else the responsibility for what happens will be theirs, and not just for the dangerous rigging by EPO and KED.”