By Andrew Warshaw
June 2 – Just days after banning a raft of Turkish clubs from Europe for financial irregularities, UEFA has now come down hard on Greek football, kicking AEK Athens out of next season’s Europa League.
With the Greek economy in desperate crisis, AEK, 11-time national champions, were sanctioned by UEFA for running up debts way beyond their means to repay.
“It is a black page in the history of AEK,” club President Andreas Dimitrelos told a press conference following UEFA’s decision that relates to its club licensing system rather than financial fair play regulations which are about losses rather than debt.
“We have a debt of €35 million (£23 million/$43.5 million) and €23 million (£18.5 million/$28.5 million) of this is owed to the state,” said Dimitrelos.
Asteras Tripolis will take Aek’s place in European action in 2012-2013.
In all, six Greek Super League clubs have been found guilty of falling foul of UEFA’s club licensing system.
The six – AEK, Aris, Panionios, PAS Giannina, Corfu and OFI Crete – retain their top-flight status but they will not be allowed to sign any new players except for under 22-year-old Greek players.
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