AEK pondering whether to punish PAOK for astounding mistake
 

After it became known that the medical certificates of 12 PAOK players had already expired, AEK are pondering whether to press charges against the Dikefalos tou Vorra and consequently claim second place of the Super League playoffs.

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There’s never a dull moment in Greek football. Last week, PAOK managed to haul themselves back into second position of the Super League when the courts overturned their seven-point deduction, before they subsequently defeated Olympiacos in Piraeus and drew with AEK at the Olympic Stadium. However, in an unlikely twist to the tale, PAOK are now in grave danger of being knocked down to third as a result of a ridiculous administrative mistake.

The medical certificates of 12 PAOK players had expired without being renewed on July 5. Since that date, PAOK have played against Panathinaikos (0-0), Olympiacos (1-0) and AEK (0-0), with the majority of the players in question having illegally participated in those games. PAOK will be punished with a 0-3 defeat to AEK and a three-point deduction if the Enosi submit a formal protest to the Super League.

Panathinaikos and Olympiacos cannot launch an appeal because the 48-hour submission period has long passed. No Panathinaikos or Olympiacos staff member picked up on PAOK’s error.

Dutch referee Danny Makkelie noticed the lack of medical certificates before the match began on Wednesday. Interestingly, he did inform AEK and PAOK representatives of the matter, but the visitors still insisted on playing the game. Fourth official Aristotelis Diamantopoulos noted the absence of PAOK’s medical certificates in his official match report:

PAOK have already confirmed that 12 players weren’t in possession of a valid medical certificate. Following the completion of their game against AEK yesterday, a furious Ivan Savvidis supposedly fired several staff members, with the Greek-Russian businessman livid at his employees for committing such a simple error which could prove to be extremely costly. 

Sport FM revealed that Sverrir Ingi Ingason, Fernando Varela, Dimitris Giannoulis, Mauricio, Christos Tzolis, Chuba Akpom, Leo Matos, Enea Mihaj, Zivko Zivkovic, Vieirinha, Dimitris Limnios and Miroslav Stoch are the 12 players without medical certificates.

The ball is now firmly in AEK’s court. In the event that AEK submit a protest, it’s a given that PAOK will be issued a 0-3 technical defeat and an added three-point deduction, a punishment which will guarantee second spot for the Kitrinomavri. AEK boast a superior head-to-head record against PAOK.

AEK will be three points ahead of PAOK with only one round remaining if they make a protest to the Super League. Massimo Carrera is reportedly pleading with Dimitris Melissanidis to punish PAOK.

Second place of the Super League grants a berth in the second qualifying round of the 2020/2021 UEFA Champions League. AEK must submit a protest before Friday evening if PAOK are to be punished.

AEK are yet to comment on the situation.

Image Source: sport-fm.gr

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