By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Four EuroLeague referees, among them Spyros Gondas and Ioannis Foufis, recently won a court case against the Greek basketball federation and the central refereeing committee, after being banned from Greek league games.
While there was no official explanation about the ban, all indications point to the FIBA versus EuroLeague debate, even if Greece was the only country in Europe that a ban of his kind happened.
After the court decision, the four EuroLeague referees were assigned to top division games and second division games, however, they were excluded from the playoffs and the finals.
Gondas and Foufis attended Wednesday’s referees draw for the Greek league finals, they were informed that they are not included in the process and they sued the central refereeing committee. According to Greek law, Stelios Simeonidis was initially detained after being sued, however, he sued back Gondas and Foufis for slander.
The two refs sued him back too for the same reason and all parties involved in the case were ultimately released. The president of the Greek basketball federation Giorgos Vasilakopoulos was also sued by the two referees but due to his age couldn’t be detained.
Earlier today Olympiacos asked the resignation of Simeonidis for another case, which is not related to Foufis and Gondas’ legal action.
Meanwhile, the referees for the first two finals are announced and the four EuroLeague referees are not included.