The European Cup final between AEK Athens and HC Alkaloid got a controversial end as the second final was called off. Both clubs involved received penalties in a ruling from the EHF Court of Handball, with AEK Athens being banned from EHF competitions for two years.
The final was set for 25 May in Skopje but no handball took place that Sunday. Instead the legal matters first established Alkaloid as the winner of the cup title.
The North Macedonian club has to pay a fine €5.000 for ”the failure to provide AEK Athens with the required ticket allocation”, according to the federation website.
But Athens decision not to play means further consequences.
”The Court of Handball found that AEK Athens violated the club’s fundamental duty to participate in a scheduled match. The Court of Handball concluded that the refusal to play a match does not only constitute a severely unsportsmanlike behaviour towards all other opponent teams, but also leads to strict consequences outlined in the competition regulations and in the EHF List of Penalties”, writes eurohandball.com.
The fine amounts to €20,000 and AEK Athens is suspended from the EHF competitions for two years. There’s still an option to appeal within a week.
Source: COURT OF HANDBALL RULES CONCERNING AEK DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS