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Vangelis Liolios has stepped down as president of the Hellenic Basketball Federation (EOK) following his arrest in an investigation into alleged match-fixing, bribery and violations of sports legislation, with the federation unanimously appointing Angelos Papanikolaou as his successor.
Liolios, who was among six people arrested Wednesday, submitted his resignation Sunday while appearing before an investigating magistrate, according to Greek media reports.
The former federation chief denied the allegations during approximately three and a half hours of testimony, explaining that his resignation was intended to prevent the ongoing legal proceedings from disrupting Greek basketball.
Following Liolios' resignation, the federation's board held an emergency meeting and unanimously elected Papanikolaou as its new president, Greek newspaper eKathimerini reported.
Earlier Sunday, the EOK said it remained in "a state of absolute and constant alert" as it followed developments surrounding the investigation, pledging to take appropriate institutional action.
The leadership change comes as the judicial investigation into alleged wrongdoing in Greek basketball continues.
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Papanikolaou previously ran against Liolios in the federation's 2021 presidential election, finishing third behind Liolios and former Greek basketball player Panagiotis Fasoulas.
Despite their earlier electoral rivalry, Papanikolaou later joined Liolios' slate and secured a seat on the federation's board in 2025.
His appointment now places him at the head of Greek basketball's governing body following Liolios' departure amid the ongoing investigation.
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