Gagatsis denies corruption charges
The indicted general director of soccer’s Super League and former president of the Greek Football Federation (EPO) Vassilis Gagatsis has denied that he mishandled 1 million Swiss francs given to EPO in 2008 by European soccer’s governing body, UEFA, to help finance the rebuilding of soccer facilities damaged by devastating fires in the Peloponnese.
A probe revealed that the money ended up in the account of the former coach of Greece’s national team, Otto Rehhagel.
Gagatsis told Sport FM that the money was used to rebuild a soccer stadium in Ilia, although it was initially deposited in Rehhagel’s account, but “only for one month” as a bonus after Greece qualified for the European Championship in 2008.
Contrary to the findings of the prosecutor’s investigation, which deemed that no bonus was stipulated in the German coach’s contract, Gagatsis insisted there was one.
