Greek football is in shock after police in Thessaloniki confiscated a cheque issued by the Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) in the name of Euro 2004 winner Zisis Vryzas, in the context of locating a ring of usurers.
Police arrested the usurers who held a cheque bearing a very respectable amount through which EPO had paid Vryzas for his services to the federation.
EPO’s management decided against taking a stand on the issue, given that its officials are going to be asked to testify to the authorities about it.
A number of serious questions arise: While EPO employees are paid through their bank accounts, why was there an exception with Vryzas, who was paid by cheque for his work as a sports director, responsible for the national team?
For the cheque to fall into the hands of a usurer, it means that Vryzas, just like thousands of Greek citizens, has found himself in a difficult financial situation and possibly his bank accounts have been frozen due to previous unsuccessful business endeavours. This is probably why he asked for his payment by cheque, but that could not cashed in a bank, so he probably resorted to a usurer. Unfortunately for the former PAOK, Perugia and Fiorentina striker, the ring was busted.
It will now be investigated whether EPO’s President Evangelos Grammenos and cashier Periklis Laskarakis who signed the cheque have legitimately paid a federation official in this way instead of putting the money into Vryzas’s bank account.