Greek soccer chief quits over 'toxic atmosphere'

Posted September 09, 2021 7:00 am

The Associated Press

ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Greece's top soccer official has resigned after just five months in the job, citing a 'œtoxic atmosphere'ť created by the country's leading clubs.

Theodoros Zagorakis, who captained Greece to victory at the 2004 European Championship and made more than 100 appearances for his country, stepped down from his role as president of the Greek Football Federation on Thursday.

Greek soccer has been dogged for decades by fan violence and allegations of corruption, with previous top sports administrators also publicly blaming powerful club owners for the lack of reform.

'œAs long as some people consciously devalue Greek football, maintaining a toxic atmosphere, without reason and cause ... the sport will shrink in the eyes of Greek fans. The only victim is football itself. Nothing else,'ť Zagorakis said in a statement.

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Article Comments

Article Categories
Content Providers MLS Pro Sports Soccer Sports Sports Leagues Sports Types

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.