Greek Football Federation - FIFA membership and Greek Government

Nov 03 2006 | 4:03 PM

The recent decision by FIFA to suspend the Greek football federation from its membership, due to encroachment by the Greek government in domestic sports regulatory issues, raises important considerations in the national and international regulation of sport.

The recent crisis between the Hellenic Football Federation (HFF), the Hellenic government and FIFA, and the initial decision for the expulsion of the HFF from FIFA, which, nevertheless, was revoked almost immediately, is not something new, since relative frictions had already existed. The purpose of this article is to present the developments of the case in relation to the athletic legislation in Greece, which highlights the actual character of the dispute. In essence, it is not about a dispute between the HFF and its overlooking federation, but between the legislative power of the state and the national federation, because of its obligation to participate in the international athletic federation. This takes place due to the conflict of the national legislation and the system of the international athletic legal order of Lex Sportiva.

Note: Suspension of governing bodies: analysis.
In: WorldSportsLawreport, Vol. 4 issue 7 (July 2006).
By:Dimitrios P. Panagiotopoulos, Assoc. Prof., University of Athens, Advocate
Ioannis Mournianakis, LL.M. (Heidelberg).