Filenews 7 February 2025 - by Elefltheria Paizanou
No substantial developments have been recorded in recent days regarding the written proposal submitted to the Ministry of Finance by the football clubs APOEL, Apollon, AEL, Anorthosis and Ethnikos Achna, for the settlement of their tax debts.
A proposal that does not cover even a quarter of the arrears they created and all the information converges that it does not satisfy the competent authorities in the ministry.
From May 2023 onwards, when the last debt repayment plan was implemented at the Tax Department (with some clubs not implementing its provisions), the majority of football companies also created new debts of €4.1 million, bringing the total tax of all clubs to €35.5 million.
Money is not enough
15 days ago, the leaders of the five clubs initially submitted an oral proposal to the Commissioner of Taxation, which they later forwarded in writing to Finance Minister Makis Keravnos.
The proposal provides for the payment of a lump sum of €500,000, with a commitment over the next three months to pay part of the new debts they created and their older debts. At the same time, they asked for the implementation of a new plan, in order to include in it the new debts that arose.
According to "F" information, the unions' proposal does not satisfy the government side, as the instalment of €500,000 is considered a very small amount. At the same time, the ministry does not seem so far to be willing to proceed with a new plan, due to the bad precedent set by some unions.
Go ahead, Mr. Markides
As we have been told, the Minister of Finance has not responded to the letter from the leaders of the five football clubs – companies (and it is unknown if he will do so at some point), even instructing the Commissioner of Taxation Sotiris Markides to treat the clubs just like the rest of the taxpayers – as debtors.
According to our information, the Tax Department will now activate the provisions of the legislation, so that the state can secure its receipt. Some reports indicate that the indictments prepared by the Tax Department may have already made their way to the General Prosecutor's Office, so that the criminal prosecution of current and former executives and members of the unions' boards can proceed, as well as the implementation of other tax collection measures, such as the placement of MEMOs on real estate and the freezing of bank accounts of the associations.
For their part, the affected clubs are awaiting a political decision from the minister or the government more broadly on the proposal they have submitted, as they are burning to secure certification that they apply UEFA criteria. The finance minister has told clubs that he will not issue certificates to clubs that they meet UEFA criteria if they fail to honour their existing commitments to the state.
Koumas: They didn't refuse
Yesterday, CFA President George Koumas, after a meeting with the football presidents, said that the clubs are in contact with the Ministry of Finance, pointing out that they did not refuse to pay. He also said that the custodian of the new repayment process of the Tax Department will be the CFA. The federation has assured the ministry that clubs that do not comply with their debts will be cut off from sponsorships they receive from UEFA.
