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Angelos Tsolakis Departs as Head Coach of Apollon Ladies Angelos Tsolakis has stepped down as head coach of Apollon Ladies, alongside his assistant coach, Antonis Giakoumis, following a mutual agreement to terminate their contracts. Apollon Ladies announced the end of their cooperation with both coaches and thanked them for their contributions to the team. The club paid special tribute to Angelos Tsolakis, highlighting his long-standing and wide-ranging involvement within the Apollon organisation, as well as his contribution as a role model for younger generations. Official Announcement Angelos Tsolakis leaves his position as head coach of Apollon Ladies. Assistant coach Antonis Giakoumis also departs. The club's official statement reads: "APOLLON Ladies announces the mutual termination of its cooperation with head coach Mr Angelos Tsolakis and assistant coach Mr Antonis Giakoumis and warmly thanks them both for their contributions to the team. Special recognition is deserved by Mr Angelos Tsolakis, who represents an example of many years of dedicated and diverse service to the wider APOLLON organisation. His presence and contributions have established him as a respected figure and a shining example for younger generations." The departures mark the end of the coaching partnership at Apollon Ladies, with the club acknowledging the dedication and service of both individuals.

One of our Cyprus Talent Pathway Showcase participants shared their insights on the training sessions, coaching support, and their overall experience throughout the programme.

Members of the criminal organisation, operating through a non-profit association that had been active since 2008 under the guise of charitable work, exploited the public’s compassion and the suffering of families with sick children, particularly those suffering from cancer. Founding members of the association “Children’s Joy” (Paidiki Chara) are allegedly behind a multimillion-euro fraud scheme. According to police, they exploited the needs of children suffering from serious illnesses and enriched themselves through donations made by members of the public who believed they were providing financial support to these children. According to police, the donors included well-known artists, athletes and businesspeople. Members of the organisation publicly promoted these individuals’ donations to enhance the association’s credibility and attract even more donors. According to police sources, the list of people who were allegedly deceived includes, among others, shipping magnate Maria Angelicoussis, singer Nikos Oikonomopoulos, footballer Tasos Chatzigiovanis, tennis player Maria Sakkari, television presenter Mary Synatsaki, and influencer Ioanna Touni. The prominent shipping magnate donated $30,000, the well-known singer contributed at least €13,000, and the footballer donated €12,450. The founding members of the association, which had been operating since 2008 under the pretence of charitable activity, exploited public sympathy and the suffering of families with sick children, particularly those battling cancer. They organised fundraising campaigns on social media, requesting money for medical expenses and treatments. In reality, however, they allegedly pocketed the donations, passing on only a tiny proportion of the funds to the children. To strengthen their credibility, they approached prominent figures from the entertainment, sports and business worlds, using their public profiles to attract further donations. It has also emerged that members of the criminal network allegedly had the bank account of a sick child's mother frozen by filing a false fraud complaint, in an attempt to force her to cooperate with them. The organisation was divided into two subgroups with distinct responsibilities. The first subgroup, consisting of the ringleader and members of his family, was responsible for setting up the fundraising campaigns. The second subgroup, which included the ringleader alongside referees and officials from a local football league, allegedly used money embezzled from the non-profit organisation to manipulate the outcomes of sporting matches. A central role in the case is believed to have been played by the 37-year-old founder of the association and his partner. The 37-year-old presents himself as a businessman who owns a café in Kalamaria, Thessaloniki, and as an official involved in local football in Pieria. Authorities have made six arrests in connection with the case. Police documented 92 fundraising campaigns involving 74 intended beneficiaries, of whom 55 have been identified. In some cases, investigators found that different photographs or personal details of children had been used to conceal the fact that previous fundraising campaigns had already been conducted for the same child. Authorities also investigated cases in which medical expenses had already been covered by insurance providers or were lower than the amounts claimed in fundraising posts. In other instances, money supposedly intended for hospitals and other medical institutions allegedly never reached those facilities. The financial figures relating to the families identified by investigators are particularly revealing. Parents of 34 children testified that they had received a combined total of approximately €1,111,176, while the corresponding donations deposited into the fundraising accounts amounted to €3,940,692. FINANCIAL BREAKDOWN Total donations received €3,940,692 Amount received by families €1,111,176 Estimated unlawful financial gain €2,829,516 28.2% received by families71.8% difference The difference of approximately €2.83 million is considered by authorities to represent unlawful financial gain. Investigations are continuing as police attempt to identify and locate additional families who may have been affected by the alleged fraud. [@SuperSport104]