EuroLeague Referee Arrested in Greek Basketball Bribery Scandal

A prominent EuroLeague referee, Vasiliki Tsaroucha, who officiated a game between Valencia and Maccabi Tel Aviv, has been implicated in a major bribery and match-fixing scandal in Greek basketball. Greek authorities arrested six individuals, including the head of the Greek basketball federation, his advisor, three former referees, and Tsaroucha, who is suspected of accepting a large sum of money to manipulate games.

During searches of the suspects' homes, police discovered significant amounts of cash, reportedly approaching or exceeding one million euros in total. A Greek police spokesperson confirmed that large sums were found with each of the six detainees, stating the total cash discovered exceeded 850,000 euros.

The investigation, which lasted several months, was initiated and managed by prosecution and investigative authorities, not the Greek police. The witnesses or complainants approached judicial authorities directly, leading to the case being handled by the sports prosecutor.

Six arrest warrants were issued and executed within 24 hours by the Greek police. Behind the scenes, the scandal reportedly erupted after two active referees, seeking immunity, came forward to expose the corruption within the federation. These referees will not face criminal proceedings.