Filenews 16 April 2025 - by Eleftheria Paizanou
The next step of the Government is awaited by the football clubs that have met their tax obligations towards the state to some extent and have paid respectable amounts to the Tax Department, although they are quite far from paying the amounts that are considered a priority, for the debts they created after May 2023.
In the category of clubs that have paid at least part of the debts and are asking for a settlement for the rest, there is APOEL, which according to our information has not paid any amount of the €1.8 million.
In total, the new debts created by four clubs (APOEL, Apollon, Anorthosis and AEL) exceed €5.3 million, which they have to pay at this stage, while their total debts to the state exceed €25.6 million.
The clubs that responded and paid some money are in a waiting position, in the hope that the Council of Ministers will decide on their reintegration into the Repayment Plan. With their possible reintegration into the Plan, the Minister of Finance Makis Keravnos is expected to issue the coveted certificate that they meet UEFA's criteria. The certificate is issued once a year - every May - and states that the unions have no new debts to the state, while the older ones are under settlement.
A competent source told "F" that the football clubs have until the end of May to present to UEFA proof that they fully comply with the criteria required by the federation.
The initial deadline given by the state to the four unions to pay the 5.3 million euros. At the end of March, they were given a few days extension, otherwise they were warned that the Tax Department will activate the indictments it has prepared, which include more than 100 former and current executives of the unions (including current ministers, mayors and MPs), who will be prosecuted.
The three are moving
The four groups have not fully complied, but some of them have given money (about 50%) to the Tax Department and at the same time submitted proposals for the repayment of their debts in another 2-3 instalments, in order to get the green light from the Ministry of Finance.
APOEL will have to pay €1.8 million, AEL €1.6 million, Apollon €1.3 million=. and Anorthosis €650,000. Apollon, Anorthosis and AEL made goodwill gestures through the payment of several thousand euros. APOEL has not yet responded.
At the end of March, APOEL executives had informed the Tax Department that they had collected €700,000 and had pledged that the amount would increase to €1 million. A competent source told Fileleftheros that no substantial action was taken on the part of APOEL. We are informed that, if after Easter the company APOEL does not pay a significant part of the debts, the Tax Commissioner will forward the indictments concerning the company to the Prosecutor's Office in order to proceed with prosecutions. Some affected APOEL executives are particularly alarmed about the situation as it develops.
Apollon and Anorthosis
On the other hand, Apollon and Anorthosis have paid 40% of the new debts they have accumulated and have pledged to pay another 20% of the new debts through instalments by the summer. Anorthosis, which is flirting with an Egyptian investor, is asking for the €75,000 received from the Government to be deducted from its debts. Both unions have submitted a plan for the repayment of the new debts through instalments.
AEL collects
The AEL club has raised €168,000 through the contribution of its fans. The leadership of the union has promised the Tax Department that by the summer it will have paid off the new debts of €2 million. AEL's debts until 2015 will be included in the plan of overdue tax debts, during which interest and charges are written off. In case of one-off payment of debts, tax deductions reach 95%.
In the meantime, the indictments have already been registered for the executives of the AEL company, which owes €3 million, as it had been disconnected from the club in the last two years.
The ball is at Makis' feet
The Minister of Finance is examining the new data and will soon have new contacts with the Tax Commissioner Sotiris Markidis. Makis Keravnos will have to make his final decisions in the coming days, as the ball is now in the feet of the Council of Ministers. According to the legal framework, the reintegration of the teams into the plan is decided only by the Council of Ministers, so the minister will decide whether to invite the Ministry to make a decision, even if the state has not been paid.
Although some of the groups expected that their issue would be on the agenda at today's Ministerial session, the information indicates that it is not scheduled to be discussed. Paphos and ARIS are awaiting the approval of the Council of Ministers for the discounts that will be given to them, as they have committed to pay off all their debts. Paphos' total debts are €1.18 million. and Aris Limassol €435,000.
