International Roundup

Top Greek teams threatened with relegation over debts

ATHENS (Reuters) -- The financial crisis in Greek soccer deepened on Thursday as two of the biggest teams in the country were threatened with relegation over transfer debts.

AEK Athens and PAOK Salonika were given 30 days to pay up or be docked six league points and if they fail to find the money after that be dropped a division.

"In the instance that AEK (and PAOK) do not make the payment, after the docking of points, they will be relegated," the Greek FA (EPO) said in a statement on Thursday.

PAOK are currently third in the table. AEK, who are still in the UEFA Cup, are fourth.

AEK have been ordered to pay Polish striker Gregorz Mielcarszki $350,000, while PAOK Salonika owe US$542,000 to Yugoslav club FK Zeleznik over the transfer of midfielder Sladjan Spasic, according to FIFA.

Both teams have been fined 15,000 Swiss francs ($11,000) over the matter.

AEK's future is unclear after an Athens prosecutor pressed charges against the club's acting president for threatening behaviour in a January 14 incident with star striker Demis Nikolaidis.

In addition, AEK will have to make do without Greece international Vassilis Tsartas after the Greek League of Professional Clubs (EPAE) released him from his contract with the team on Thursday.

The midfielder is now a free agent after suing the club for $350,000 in unpaid wages.

The same EPAE panel is expected to give a ruling on Monday over the future of Nikolaidis, who is also demanding to be released from his contract over unpaid wages.

On the plus side, club captain Thodoris Zagorakis has been cleared of doping charges after registering abnormal levels of testosterone during testing in December.

Back taxes

On Monday, state auditors investigating finances at AEK demanded $18 million in back taxes and the government has announced a financial investigation into all top flight clubs.

"Some professional clubs are not going to be able to survive," Greek Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos told reporters on Wednesday.

Junior finance minister George Floridis, who previously oversaw the portfolio for sport, has accused club owners of siphoning off money from the sport.

Greek soccer hit a financial crisis last September after the collapse of broadcasters Alpha Digital left the majority of the top clubs without a TV deal.

The government has pledged a full investigation into the whereabouts of tens of millions of dollars in broadcast rights paid to teams last year.

Brazil captain Cafu set to join Yokohama

TOKYO (Reuters) -- Brazil captain Cafu is set to join Yokohama F-Marinos this summer, officials of the J-League club said on Thursday.

The 32-year-old AS Roma defender will become a Yokohama player at the end of the Italian season on July 1, according to F-Marinos.

"I am sure he will bring a lot to the team in terms of mental toughness. We will have a real chance at winning the J-League this year," Yokohama manager Takeshi Okada told a news conference.

Cafu led Brazil to a fifth World Cup triumph in Japan and South Korea last summer. The South Americans beat Germany 2-0 in the final at International Stadium, Yokohama's home ground.

Romanian players' union chief rejects cut of ban

BUCHAREST (Reuters) -- Player Florin Prunea, who led a footballers' march against Romanian soccer's governing body (FRF) last month, has rejected a decision to cut his nine-month ban by a third.

Earlier this month, the Professional League (LPF) banned Prunea, who is the president of the players' union (AFAN), after finding him guilty of making "defamatory statements" against the LPF during an unprecedented players' protest.

On Thursday, the LPF's appeal commission decided to cut the ban to six months, following Prunea's appeal last week.

But goalkeeper Prunea, who plays for FCM Bacau, rejected the ruling and called it illegal.

"I will appeal again. The LFP put a ban on me as a player... but actually they punished me for being a trade union leader and for calling the protest," Prunea said.

"I will never accept a ban, not even for a minute," he said.

In December, Prunea led dozens of footballers who marched through the Romanian capital asking for payment of their delayed wages and the resignation of LFP president Dumitru Dragomir in what was tagged as the world's first footballers' street protest.

Prunea and his first and second divisions colleagues also accused the FRF and the LFP of not doing enough to prevent rigged matches which have plagued the domestic game in Romania over the past 12 years.

The conflict between Dragomir and AFAN escalated in the last few days with Dragomir accusing Romanian internationals of playing for their country with money as their motivation instead of patriotism.

"Dragomir has no place in Romanian soccer any more," Prunea said.

Nigeria's Aghahowa desperate to leave Shakhtar

MOSCOW (Reuters) -- Nigerian striker Julius Aghahowa, desperate to leave Ukrainian league leaders Shakhtar Donetsk, has lashed out at Shakhtar bosses for failing to transfer him.

Aghahowa caught the attention at last year's World Cup finals with his trademark goal celebration of seven backflips rounded off with a full backward somersault.

"Shakhtar is a great club with good players...but when the time has come for me to move on, the Shakhtar bosses have little respect for my interests and ambitions," Aghahowa was quoted as saying in Thursday's edition of Russian daily Izvestia.

"I don't think it's fair. In the last year they refused to listen to any offer from a number of European clubs, among them, as I have heard, were Arsenal and Juventus," he said.

He added: "Now, they have failed to agree my transfer to Bolton Wanderers at the end of December. It seems to be the last straw for me."

Shakhtar president Renat Akhmetov, keen on Champions League qualification, does not want to lose the Nigerian who he rates as worth a "a lot more" than $15 million.

Aghahowa said: "I feel very bored and lonely in Donetsk. My wife and my child can't visit me because it's very cold here."

Maldarasanu joins Besiktas from Bucharest

BUCHAREST (Reuters) -- Rapid Bucharest midfielder Marius Maldarasanu has joined Turkish league Besiktas Istanbul on loan until the end of the season, the Romanian club's spokesman said on Thursday.

"Maldarasanu left Rapid and has already gone to Istanbul," Cristian Costache told Reuters.

Costache said Maldarasanu might extend his contract with the Turkish club if both sides agree.

Besiktas Istanbul are coached by Mircea Lucescu, voted best Romanian trainer last year. Maldarasanu's former team mate Daniel Pancu already plays for the club.

 

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Both the Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.