Apollon Smyrnis to face Xanthi in promotion playoff

A relegation/promotion playoff will take place between Xanthi and Apollon Smyrnis in the concluding two weeks of August, with the Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) not gathering enough votes to include 15 teams in the 2020/2021 Super League.

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Not long ago, the staging of a relegation/promotion playoff in the 2019/2020 campaign seemed almost impossible, but against all odds it will eventually be held at the end of August. The playoff between Xanthi and Apollon Smyrnis will be played across two legs.

In the 2019/2020 Super League, Xanthi claimed 13th position to avoid direct relegation, while Apollon Smyrnis finished in second spot of the Super League 2. However, due to the Super League 2 being cancelled as a consequence of the coronavirus crisis, Apollon haven’t played a game since the first half of March. Xanthi’s last match in the Super League was staged on July 18 against AE Larissa on the road.

The EPO was eager for 15 teams to participate in the 2020/2021 Super League instead of 14. Nevertheless, at a crucial Executive Committee conference on Monday, less than ¾ of the participants voted in favour of that particular proposal. This consequently means that a relegation/promotion playoff is required as the Super League won’t be restructured for next season.

It has already been confirmed that the two Xanthi - Apollon Smyrnis matches will be staged on the 22nd and 29th of August.

Furthermore, according to information provided by gazzetta.gr, there is even a possibility that the major shareholders of Xanthi will decide to liquidate the club at a vital meeting on August 21 if no new buyer is found!

It’s worth noting that the Super League organisation had already stated that it wasn’t prepared to restructure the championship this summer.

The 2020/2021 Super League campaign is scheduled to begin on September 12.

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