By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
EuroLeague Basketball issued an announcement regarding Panathinaikos BC owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos and his “statements made during the match” between his club and Olympiacos for Round 6 of the regular season.
Giannakopoulos’ previously suspended fines had been re-activated while a disciplinary process and an investigation have been opened on the comments the owner of Panathinaikos made, as they were written on the Crew Chief’s report of the game.
Per EuroLeague.net:
The Euroleague Basketball Independent Disciplinary Judge on Thursday handed down a €30,000 fine against Mr. Dimitris Giannakopoulos and Panathinaikos Athens for statements made during the team’s Turkish Airlines Euroleague Regular Season Round 6 game against Olympiacos Piraeus on Friday, November 9. The infractions concerned statements made by Mr. Giannakopoulos insulting, offending, or committing acts that show a lack of respect towards a member of the officiating crew, comments that were reproduced in several national and international media outlets, damaging the image of the competition.
The Independent Disciplinary Judge has concluded that Mr. Giannakopoulos disregarded the values of sport, the spirit of fair play and good sportsmanship with the statements cited, highlighting in the resolution that “Mr. Giannakopoulos was benefiting from a suspended sanction and made a formal commitment to behave properly, which he breached, making his attitude even more disrespectful and condemnable.”
As a consequence, Euroleague Basketball also has decided to re-activate the following fines, which date to the 2017-18 season, but had been suspended last October:
- €160.000 for public statements, made by Mr. Giannakopoulos last April 9 and 16, that endangered duly harmonious relationships among clubs and were detrimental to the sport of basketball in accordance with Article 24.1.g) of the Disciplinary Code.
- €250.000 for public statements made by Mr. Giannakopoulos last April 20 that endangered duly harmonious relationships among clubs and being detrimental to the sport of basketball in accordance with Article 24.1.g) of the Disciplinary Code.
The sanction forbidding Mr. Dimitris Giannakopoulos to attend any Euroleague Basketball games remains suspended on probation, although it shall be reinstated in case of any further infringement.
Additionally, the Independent Disciplinary Judge imposed a fine of €2,500 on Panathinaikos for the use of laser pointers, and €3,500 for the behavior of individuals in the courtside seats (under (under Article 29.2.f and g of the Disciplinary Code respectively) in the same Round 6 game on Friday, November 9.
A disciplinary procedure against Panathainikos Athens and Dimitris Giannakopoulos have also been opened and an investigation by the Disciplinary Judge will be carried out regarding the post-game statement appearing in several media outlets affecting the image of the competition and stakeholders.