2019–20 Super League Greece

The 2019–20 Super League Greece was the 84th season of the Super League, the top Greek professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1959.

The season marks the first year that the league that included a Play-off Round, whereby the top six teams at the conclusion of the regular season played each other exclusively to determine the league champion. The rest of the teams played each other in a Play-out Round to determine the relegation positions.

The season was suspended on 13 March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Greece, then resumed on 5 June 2020.

During the championship, the multi-ownership scandal broke out between PAOK and Xanthi. The ESA (Professional Sports Committee) considered the case serious, which meant the automatic relegation of the two teams. The government brought an extraordinary amendment to the parliament under the pretext of splitting social cohesion. The amendment provided for the deduction of 5 to 10 points from those who violate the law on multi-ownership in Greek football by acquiring shares of another PAE.

Olympiacos won the championship for the 45th time. They also finished undefeated in the 26 games of the regular season of the league and remained undefeated in the first 7 games of the final phase of the playoffs, until losing the 8th game of the playoffs (0-1 to PAOK). They also achieved a record of the best defence in the regular season with just 9 goals conceded.

Xanthi were relegated to Super League 2 after play-off matches, while Panionios were relegated to the Gamma Ethniki, while the Super League 2 champion, PAS Giannina and play-off winner, Apollon Smyrnis were promoted.

Multi-ownership PAOK - Xanthi

In December 2019, Olympiacos appealed to the Professional Sports Committee to clarify the relationship between PAOK and Xanthi after TV channel One (owned by Marinakis) reported that the Cypriot company RfA that had acquired Xanthi's assets (stadium and training center) appeared to be "linked" to Ivan Savvidis' nephew, Ioannis Kalpazidis.
The Professional Sports Committee accepted the evidence presented by Olympiacos and decided to recommend to the competent judicial body the revocation of both PAOK's and Xanthi's certificates of participation in the championship and, consequently, their exclusion from the championship. PCS referred the case to the sports judge and asked for the penalty of relegation.

The Deputy Sports Minister, Lefteris Avgenakis, commented negatively on the prospect of relegation.

The management of PAOK and their supporters were outraged by the decision, accusing Avgenakis of methodically setting up the committee, while protests and negative statements were also made by related individuals and organisations. For instance, former player and presidend of PAOK, Theodoros Zagorakis, who was MEP for ND at the time, was expelled from the parliamentary Eurogroup when he threatened to become independent if the decisions of the PCS were accepted.

The Greek government, afraid of a generalised reaction and as PAOK fans had started a series of protests, submitted an amendment on 6 February 2020 in order to prevent the sports judge's ruling. It changed the penalty for multiple ownership by abolishing relegation and imposing a deduction of 5 to 10 points.

The amendment was passed with 156 votes in favour, while the parties the Movement for Change, KKE, Greek Solution and MeRA25 abstained from the vote in protest of the legislation, which was rushed through in order to serve certain interests.

The disciplinary committee of the HFF decided to punish PAOK and Xanthi by deducting 7 points from the former and 12 from the latter.

However, both Olympiacos and PAOK appealed to CAS against the decision of the HFF, with Olympiacos requesting the relegation of the latter and PAOK seeking their acquittal After both appeals, CAS decided that the 7 points should be returned to PAOK and referred the case back to the Appeals Committee of the HFF with the footnote that it should decide on the merits of the case without being bound by the conclusion of the CSP.

Eventually, on 9 February 2021, PAOK were fully acquitted by a decision of the Appeals Committee of the HFF. For Xanthi, however, there was no change in the decision, as the team did not appeal to the CAS.

Teams

Fourteen teams competed in the league – the top twelve teams from the previous season, the previous season's play-off winner and one team promoted from the Football League. The promoted team was Volos. They replaced PAS Giannina, Levadiakos (both teams relegated after eight seasons in the league) and Apollon Smyrnis (relegated after two seasons in the top flight).

Stadiums and locations

:''Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.''

Personnel, kits and TV channel

Managerial changes

Regular season

League table

Results

Positions by round

The table lists the positions of teams after each week of matches. To preserve chronological evolvements, any postponed matches are not included in the round at which they were originally scheduled, but added to the full round they were played immediately afterwards.

Play-off round

The top six teams from Regular season will meet twice (10 matches per team) for places in 2020–21 UEFA Champions League and 2020–21 UEFA Europa League as well as deciding the league champion.

Play-off round positions by round

Play-out round

Play-out round positions by round

Relegation play-offs

, +Summary

''Apollon Smyrnis won 4–1 on aggregate and were promoted to 2020–21 Super League. Xanthi were relegated to 2020–21 Super League 2.''

Season statistics

Top scorers

Top assists

Awards

NIVEA MEN Player of the Month

NIVEA MEN Player of the Club

NIVEA MEN Player of the Regular season

NIVEA MEN Best Goal of the Regular season

NIVEA MEN Best Goal

Annual awards

Annual awards were announced on 16 February 2021.

Average attendances

Average ticket sales counted officially without games played behind closed doors from Super League.

According to the complaint, Ioannis Kalpazidis, the representative of the Cypriot company RfA, which bought the assets of Xanthis FC, is allegedly the nephew of Ivan Savvidis. The complainant added that this person, who worked as a waiter, paid 10 million euros for this purchase. Olympiacos also complained that members of the board of directors of FC Xanthi were also on the board of directors of the RfA.

XANTHI FC was imposed an additional deduction of 5 points for non-updated share register.

References

External links

Official website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Super League Greece, 2019-20
Greece
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A1 Ethniki
A1 Ethniki
2019-20
Association football events postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic