Greek football clubs have gone on strike in protest at sponsorship payments being withdrawn by OPAP. The players’ union (PSAP) confirmed the strike on Monday as clubs in Football League 1 and 2 have run out of money to pay insurance contributions. The state-run gaming industry company, OPAP, was meant to foot the bill but never signed an agreement in May 2011 that was supposed to pay for the insurance. The PSAP statement said: “We understand that the country is living an unprecedented crisis, however this does not mean that among other things we have to tolerate playing uninsured or partially insured only for the duration of games.”
Payments were frozen last season after OPAP expressed reservations about repeated crowd violence and as such refused to pay the fee. Super League clubs have also expressed their annoyance at the delay, stating: “We express our strong dissatisfaction with the attitude of OPAP and its underlying attitudes, which are mocking Greek football.”
OPAP has yet to issue any comment.