“Play play, over two and a half H… and both teams to score, UNDER 19. Put it in, put it in.” The urging words of the 36-year-old president of the NGO “Paidiki Chara” weren’t referring to a match scheduled for some other day. When his conversation partner asked when the teams were playing, he replied: “They’re playing right now — put your money in at half-time.” This is yet another intercepted communication included in the investigation into the H… U19 vs. A… T… U19 match that took place in early autumn of this year, which ended with a final score of 3-2.
NGO “Paidiki Chara”: Intercepted conversations about betting on the U19 match
The case was investigated by the Financial Crimes Unit of the Organized Crime Division of Northern Greece (DOAE), combining intercepted phone calls, sports betting activity records, and mobile device data. In this particular call, the president’s conversation partner is none other than a person he trusted completely — a 35-year-old police officer who is also a former footballer and an official at an amateur football club. Notably, this individual is not among the six suspects who have been referred to justice.
Inside information on the next goal
According to findings from the police investigation, the two men reportedly discussed which specific betting market would “pay out” in the match in question. It was alleged that at least three goals would be scored and that both teams would get on the scoresheet.
PRESIDENT: Play play, over two and a half H… and both teams to score, UNDER 19. Put it in, put it in.
POLICE OFFICER / CLUB OFFICIAL: What time are they playing?
PRESIDENT: They’re playing right now — put your money in at half-time.
POLICE OFFICER / CLUB OFFICIAL: Sorry, what did you say? Iraklis?
PRESIDENT: H… UNDER 19 vs. A… T… — over and both teams to score.
POLICE OFFICER / CLUB OFFICIAL: Over two and a half and both teams to score?
PRESIDENT: Yes.
POLICE OFFICER / CLUB OFFICIAL: OK.
“If only I’d woken up earlier”
The president appears to believe he could have made even more money had he been informed and prepared earlier. He describes how he scrambled to gather whatever cash he had on hand and rushed to place his bets. In one excerpt, he mentions a sum of €1,400–1,500 and refers to an alleged profit of “7 grand.”
PRESIDENT: To give you an idea of how sure a thing it was — it even went to 2-2 and then they told me after the 80th minute another one would go in, so I waited a bit, you know, and it gets to the 88th, 87th minute or whatever, and I put my bet on.
INTERLOCUTOR: Wooow…
PRESIDENT: At the 93rd minute — 3-2.
INTERLOCUTOR: So the people who tipped you off really knew their stuff? Seriously.
PRESIDENT: Yeah, mate, they were spot on.
[…]
INTERLOCUTOR: A… got it sorted for you in 2 minutes.
PRESIDENT: A… gave me 7 grand yesterday, just like that.
INTERLOCUTOR: Unbelievable, right?
PRESIDENT: 7 grand… and if I’d woken up earlier — I mean, I woke up at 2:30 in the afternoon and only made it by half-time. The other guy had called me about a hundred times. If I’d woken up early and been properly prepared, mate… because I just got up and found whatever I had…
INTERLOCUTOR: You could easily have put twenty grand in by now.
PRESIDENT: I grabbed whatever cash I had in my trousers, you know, and ran to a cash betting shop. V… goes “where are you going?” and I tell her “I’ll explain in a bit, love,” go to the cash betting shop, put in 1,000… how much… 1,400–1,500.
INTERLOCUTOR: Did you actually tell her the truth just now, or not?
PRESIDENT: About going out yesterday?
INTERLOCUTOR: No, about the match.
PRESIDENT: About you placing a bet on the match?
INTERLOCUTOR: Yeah.
PRESIDENT: No, I didn’t tell her the truth. I told her, “Love, I’ll send you 2,000 via Revolut — do whatever you want with it.”
The referee and the middleman
According to the police investigation, the 36-year-old had received inside information from a 38-year-old low-profile administrative official at an amateur football club, while the U19 match itself was refereed by the 35-year-old accused referee.
