Marinakis’ letter to Melissanidis about OPAP Arena: ‘I don’t want to embarrass you or the fans of AEK’

THE Vangelis Marinakis replied to the invitation he received from with a personal letter Dimitris Melissanidis to be there on Friday (September 30th, 8:30 p.m.) at the opening of the OPAP Arena.

The PAE Olympiacos strongman and Super League president said:

“Piraeus September 28, 2022

Dear Dimitri,

I received your invitation to the opening of the OPAP arena, but it is practically impossible for me to attend, imagining other owners of the big teams.

If you really want us to visit the new stadium and show me and the other team presidents around, you can call us on a day when the stadium isn’t crowded so the visit can go smoothly and quietly.

You understand that especially my presence, the presence of OLYMPIAKOS, brings back memories of many defeats in the world of AEK, who that day just wants to enjoy the return to the field where he met his team.

So I don’t want to embarrass you or your team’s fans.

I would like to take this invitation to express my joy at the opening of the AEK stadium and to emphasize that both the world of OLYMPIAKOS and I personally have a desire for new stadiums to be built, because good football is played in modern stadiums.

We want it to be the new stadium of PAO, PAOK, Aris, OFI, Iraklis, Panaitolikos, all the teams that have people and history. And actually I want them to be funded by the region and the state. After all, the state spends millions on many projects, so it would be good to invest in safe, modern stadiums to move football forward.

Any sane sports fan agrees with these principles. Especially when the assets of the stadiums belong to the state that finances them and not to joint stock companies, because then it is state money that is given to a joint stock company and that is a scandal, and when it comes to 35 million that is given to an SA be , then it’s a huge scandal.

On the contrary, if the stadiums belong to the state, the PAE can lease them for a long period of time for decades at a reasonable price and, of course, also take over their maintenance. This is how everyone becomes a winner, and especially football.

Also, as President of the Super League and OLYMPIACOS, I believe that the new stadiums must first and foremost be safe for the thousands of people who visit them.

I sincerely hope that you invest sparingly in security measures because that is what a stadium needs and not threats against officials who do their job and then sue you for threats, which is obviously a slander of Greek football.

The new stadiums herald a new era in football. I wish you and the thousands of AEK fans joy as you return to New Philadelphia, your team’s historic home.

Regards“