"You Wanted War with Me?" Giannakopoulos Gloats Over Greek Basketball Arrests: Kisses to You All!

Pulse Sports Team 15:56 - 21 October 2026

Greek basketball was rocked by a major scandal on Wednesday following the arrests of federation chiefs and referees, prompting Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos to react jubilantly on social media.

Shockwaves have hit Greek basketball as Vangelis Liolios, president of the Hellenic Basketball Federation, was arrested in a major police operation. According to portal "Sport24", Liolios was taken into custody after a period on the run, during which an arrest warrant had been issued for him. Alongside him, five referees and match officials were also detained, triggering one of the biggest scandals in the country's sporting history.

Those detained include referees with EuroLeague experience—Vasiliki Tsaroucha, Ilias Koromilas, and Petros Papapetrou—as well as Tasos Piloidis, a former international referee and current member of the Central Refereeing Committee. According to Greek media reports, authorities are still searching for basketball official Giorgos Mavraganis.

The investigation that led to these arrests spans an extensive timeframe, covering matches from 2018 to 2026. Local reports indicate that investigators are focusing on allegations of match-fixing in the top tier as well as in lower divisions over the past five years.

Giannakopoulos gloats over arrests

Panathinaikos chief Dimitris Giannakopoulos, a long-time vocal critic of the Hellenic Basketball Federation and the refereeing body, took to social media to gloat over the unfolding drama.

"You wanted war with me and thought you would win. Kisses to all of you. You wanted war? War. Now you are a prisoner," Giannakopoulos stated.

Giannakopoulos also posted several Instagram stories addressing the arrested federation president and referees, highlighting controversial refereeing decisions from past derby clashes between the Greens and Olympiacos.

Huge sums of cash uncovered at suspects' properties

Compelling evidence against the suspects was reportedly gathered during searches of their properties, where police discovered large sums of unaccounted cash missing from official financial records.

The operation is still ongoing as authorities hunt for the remaining suspects on their list, while the Greek sports community is already questioning the fallout and long-term implications for the federation's governance.