The 2019–20 Super League Greece was the 84th season of the Super League, the top Greek professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1959.
The season marks the first year that the league that included a Play-off Round, whereby the top six teams at the conclusion of the regular season played each other exclusively to determine the league champion. The rest of the teams played each other in a Play-out Round to determine the relegation positions.[1]
During the championship, the multi-ownership scandal broke out between PAOK and Xanthi. The ESA (Professional Sports Committee) considered the case serious, which meant the automatic relegation of the two teams. The government brought an extraordinary amendment to the parliament under the pretext of splitting social cohesion. The amendment provided for the deduction of 5 to 10 points from those who violate the law on multi-ownership in Greek football by acquiring shares of other PAE.[4][5]
Olympiacos won the championship for the 45th time. They also finished undefeated in the 26 games of the regular season of the league and remained undefeated in the first 7 games of the final phase of the playoffs, until he lost the 8th game of the playoffs (0-1 by PAOK). He also achieved a record of best defense in the regular season with just 9 goals conceded.[6]
In December 2019, Olympiacos appealed to the Professional Sports Committee to clarify the relationship between PAOK and Xanthi after TV channel One (owned by Marinakis) reported that the Cypriot company RfA that acquired Xanthi's assets (stadium and training center) appeared to be "linked" to Ivan Savvidis' nephew, Ioannis Kalpazidis. a[8] The Professional Sports Committee accepted the evidence presented by Olympiacos and decided to recommend to the competent judicial body the revocation of both PAOK's and Xanthi's certificates of participation in the championship and, consequently, their exclusion from the championship. PCS referred the case to the sports judge and asked for the penalty of relegation.
The Deputy Sports Minister, Lefteris Avgenakis, commented negatively on the prospect of relegation.[9]
The management of PAOK and their supporters were outraged by the decision, accusing Avgenakis of methodically setting up the committee, while protests and negative statements were also made by related individuals and organisations.[10] For instance, former player and presidend of PAOK, Theodoros Zagorakis, who was MEP for ND at the time, was expelled from the parliamentary Eurogroup when he threatened to become independent if the decisions of the PCS were accepted.[11]
The Greek government, afraid of a generalised reaction and as PAOK fans had started a series of protests, submitted an amendment on 6 February 2020 in order to prevent the sports judge's ruling. [12] It changed the penalty for multiple ownership by abolishing relegation and imposing a deduction of 5 to 10 points.
[13]
The amendment was passed with 156 votes in favour, while the parties the Movement for Change, KKE, Greek Solution and MeRA25 abstained from the vote in protest of the legislation, which was rushed through in order to serve certain interests. [14]
The disciplinary committee of the HFF decided to punish PAOK and Xanthi by deducting 7 points from the former and 12 from the latterb.
[15]
However, both Olympiacos and PAOK appealed to CAS against the decision of the HFF, with Olympiacos requesting the relegation of the latter[16] and PAOK seeking their acquittal[17] After both appeals, CAS decided that the 7 points should be returned to PAOK and referred the case back to the Appeals Committee of the HFF with the footnote that it should decide on the merits of the case without being bound by the conclusion of the CSP.[18]
Eventually, on 9 February 2021, PAOK were fully acquitted by a decision of the Appeals Committee of the HFF.[19] For Xanthi, however, there was no change in the decision, as the team did not appeal to the CAS.[20]
Teams
Fourteen teams competed in the league – the top twelve teams from the previous season, the previous season's play-off winner and one team promoted from the Football League. The promoted team was Volos. They replaced PAS Giannina, Levadiakos (both teams relegated after eight seasons in the league) and Apollon Smyrnis (relegated after two seasons in the top flight).
Source: Superleague Greece, Soccerway Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Goal difference; 5) Goals scored; 6) Play-offs (neutral ground). (Note: Criteria 6 is only used if needed to decide champion, teams for relegation or teams for UEFA competitions). Notes:
Source: Superleague Greece Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Positions by round
The table lists the positions of teams after each week of matches. To preserve chronological evolvements, any postponed matches are not included in the round at which they were originally scheduled, but added to the full round they were played immediately afterwards.
Source: Superleague Greece, Soccerway Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Goals scored; 5) Goals against; 6) Play-offs (neutral ground); 7) Draw. (Note: Criteria 6 is only used if needed to decide champion, teams for relegation or teams for UEFA competitions).[23] (C) Champions Notes:
^Panathinaikos were banned from UEFA club competitions for the first season they would qualify between the 2018–19 and 2020–21 seasons by the UEFA Club Financial Control Body on 24 April 2018 due to overdue payables, and since they did not qualify for either the 2018–19 or 2019–20 season, they were banned from the 2020–21 season.[22]
Source: Superleague Greece, Soccerway Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Goals scored; 5) Goals against; 6) Play-offs (neutral ground); 7) Draw. (Note: Criteria 6 is only used if needed to decide champion, teams for relegation or teams for UEFA competitions).[23] (R) Relegated Notes:
^Xanthi was punished with -7 points for the case of co-ownership and -5 points for not announcing the change in the shareholder structure of PAE by the Primary Single Member Disciplinary body of the organization.[24]
^Panionios were deducted 6 points for non-licensing.[25]
Updated to games played on 1 March 2020 Source: [1] Notes: 1: Team played last season in the Football League 2: Games played behind closed doors Olympiacos 2 games. 3: Games played behind closed doors Panetolikos 1 game. 4: Games played behind closed doors Panionios 2 games. 5: Games played behind closed doors AEK Athens 1 game.
^a According to the complaint, Ioannis Kalpazidis, the representative of the Cypriot company RfA, which bought the assets of Xanthis FC, is allegedly the nephew of Ivan Savvidis. The complainant added that this person, who worked as a waiter, paid 10 million euros for this purchase. Olympiacos also complained that members of the board of directors of FC Xanthi were also on the board of directors of the RfA.[12]
^b XANTHI FC was imposed an additional deduction of 5 points for non-updated share register.
^"Το χρονικό της κόντρας για Ξάνθη-ΠΑΟΚ που έκανε άνω-κάτω και την πολιτική" [The chronicle of the Xanthi-PAOK race that turned politics upside down]. star.gr. 28 January 2020. The decision provoked a strong reaction from PAOK FC, which claimed that the Deputy Minister of Sports, Lefteris Avgenakis, replaced two members of the SCA two days before the hearing of the case, who voted for the relegation of PAOK and Xanthi and reiterated that the law sets an obstacle for relatives up to the third degree and not more distant ones, such as I. SYRIZA also denounced Avgenakis for replacing two members of the ERA today (28/1), claiming that he had deceived the relevant committee of the Parliament.=
