AEK’s letter to KED: “The punishment for Sidiropoulos is wrong” –

PAE AEK sent a letter to the KED, with notification to the EPO and the president of the Executive Committee, Makis Gagatsi, about the episode with Brinioli who kicked Suleimanov in the head, without being expelled, and the impending punishment of Tassos Sidiropoulos who was referee in the Union cup match with Aris. AEK maintains that the Italian goalkeeper was not properly sent off and has gathered a series of similar phases, which were only punished with a yellow card.

In detail what the letter mentions: Specific websites and blogs “informed” early yesterday afternoon and continue to “inform” the sports fans today, that the President of KED is punishing the referee of the match PAE AEK – PAE ARIS etc. Long-term ban ironman.

The questions raised are reasonable:

1) Do the specific media operate as a KED press office and do they have the privilege of receiving immediate information with exclusive priority over everything else and especially over PAE? The same thing has happened repeatedly, as you well know (and we have pointed it out to you) e.g. during the month of September on a television network.

2) Is it possible that the publication in question has a trace of truth and that you have already decided the punishment of the above referee, because he dared to do the right thing, according to the FIFA Regulations and instructions? In order to remind you of the current Regulations, we present the attachments to this video, from which it is proven that a lot of such cases of blows to the head, even to the face, were punished with a yellow card, with the most typical ad hoc case, the one in the match ECUADOR – BRAZIL on 28.1.2022, where a red card was shown to the goalkeeper, it turns into a yellow card following VAR intervention. In the videos we have attached, you can clearly see many phases against AEK footballers who suffered more violent blows and their opponents were punished with a yellow card. In one of these phases, our footballer Garcia was hit with kicks in the face and his opponent was punished with a yellow card by the same referee, Mr. Sidiropoulos, in the PAE PANSERRAIKOS – PAE AEK match of the 2023-2024 season. It easily follows that the arbitrator in question had the same treatment both in favor of and against AEK.

3) If indeed you have already imposed or are about to impose the penalty of disqualifying the referee Sidiropoulos from his appointment in matches of the following competitions, it is obvious that this penalty is wrong. Obviously wrong and beyond all refereeing logic is also the alleged (according to journalistic media) “indignation” of Mr. Valeri with Mr. Sidiropoulos, because he did not “obey” the order of the VAR referee Mr. Fotias and did not implement what he demanded. It is beyond common sense for the VAR Officer and Deputy Head of Refereeing to promote severe punishment of a match referee, instead of dealing with the assessment of VAR referees who have proven to have pushed the match referee into a wrong decision or failed to deal as they should have for the four penalties of of three last consecutive matches of PAE AEK in the SUPER LEAGUE 1 Championship.

4) Regardless of the above, why did you let the referees – VAR referees go unpunished who made glaring mistakes against us, altering not only the outcome of our specific matches, but even the Championship itself? Why, in this case with the recent example of the referee Tsiara in the match PAE PANSERRAIKOS – PAE AEK, for which the President of KED confessed that at least one penalty (on Pineda) was not given to PAE AEK (while the second penalty was awarded to Odubatzo you didn’t even comment!!!), there was no punishment of the ref and VAR but instead you rewarded them with immediate reassignment? Why was there no punishment for the referees of the matches PAE PANAITOLIKOS – PAE AEK and PAE AEK – PAE PAOK, who obviously made mistakes that had the consequence of altering the results of our matches? Why was there no punishment of the VAR referees of these matches, since Mr. Valeri appears (based on reports) to demand that the VAR referees insist on the referees changing their decision, as allegedly happened in the case of Mr. Fotias with Mr. Sidiropoulos?

5) What is the purpose of both of you, such a harsh punishment, as it is widely rumored, on a referee who dared to apply what the FIFA and UEFA Regulations require, at a time when the same referee in a similar phase has followed the same tactics in both fouls in favor of and fouls against PAE AEK? Why should the referees be given indirect directions by punishing specific and selective refereeing in such a way as to create false impressions, prejudice, negative climate and unstable environment?

We clarify, to remove any doubt, that the content of our above reasonable questions is not intended to defend persons. It aims to defend fair arbitration and highlight every effort for the existence of fair arbitration and fair competition. It also aims to prevent concerted actions to create impressions against individuals or groups, wherever these actions originate. In addition, following all the above, it is deemed necessary to point out to you that we have never received sufficient and convincing explanations to the questions we put to you in writing in our letters on 9.8.2024 and 29.8.2024 at the start of the competition season regarding the criteria received consideration for the compilation of the Super League 1 Referee Tables (how and who, given the Table leaks at the time) but also regarding the deletion of highly rated international referees from the Tables in favor of non-international and lower rated ones referees. Your reply letter of 3.9.2024 was completely unhelpful and vague and therefore we still await your fully clarifying reply letter as you have a duty.

In addition, we express our strong protest against your continued refusal to let us know what proper and preventive actions you took or did not take to avoid the glaring errors of the referee Tsiara, which manifested themselves exactly as rumored before the match PAE PANSERRAIKOS – PAE AEK and unfortunately confirmed and our rumors and fears, as we informed you in our letter before the said match. We await with great interest your answers to the above questions, obviously requiring full documentation of your claims and arguments for the Fair Competition in which you have an obligation and duty.

This is communicated to the EPO and the President of the EU. for his information and for his own comments.

With due appreciation, For PAE AEK”.

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