Plans by the wealthiest Greek in Australia to invest in Greek football club AEK Athens are sure to fall through, despite reports in Athens suggesting otherwise. Con Makris, who was named as the 36th richest man in Australia by Business Review Weekly Magazine this week, held talks with AEK officials in Athens over the last week, in view of buying the majority of shares in the debt-stricken club.

However Neos Kosmos understands that members of the AEK supporters group, Original 21, will vocally oppose any attempts by Makris to buy into AEK, primarily because he is a self proclaimed Olympiakos fan, but also because they dont believe the Greek Australian understands the history or philosophy of the club.

Those opposed to Makris investing in AEK have already let their opinions be known by releasing a press statement, published in the newspaper Ora Gia Spor, a publication aimed exclusively at covering news about AEK, and by posting various messages against any Markis involvement with AEK on the supporters group facebook page. Makris, whose previous forays into football include A-League club Adelaide United and Greek Second Division side Panachaiki, has said that he is not willing to make any moves until he has had a chance to examine AEK’s financial records, which he says could take up to six months.

This has thrown the deal into further doubt, because AEK officials are looking for someone who can invest immediately to help with the club’s current debts. The club is currently third in the Greek Super League and has booked a spot in the Greek Cup Final against Atromitos in late April. However if they do not settle their debts with past and present members of their playing staff by the end of this month, the club could miss out on participating in next season’s competitions in both Greece and Europe.

To clear those debts, AEK’s President Stavros Adamidis and main shareholder Petros Pappas are looking for investors that can contribute funds immediately. That’s something Makris is not willing to do. “I dont know of anyone who just gives away 2.7million euro without first looking into the business model or practices of that firm,” Makris told reporters in Greece this week.

Makris, who has held two meetings with Adamidis and Pappas, the most recent just last week in Athens, says he is interested in investing in AEK, but only under certain conditions. “I am interested in the model that was proposed to me by Mr Adamidis and Mr Pappas, I think AEK can become a real force in football if they can achieve what they aim to, but I will only get involved with a further three or four investors, so that we all own a share and be represented on the board accordingly,” Mr Makris said. He said he was definitely interested but had asked for six months to examine everything, before adding that he had just made some other key investments in Greece. For AEK fans, who have seen their club struggle for so long, there is no time to wait for Makris or any other investor. They are demanding immediate answers from the current board, particularly after last week’s embarrassing 6-0 loss to rivals Olympiakos.

“Enough is enough, this board needs to go, its time for new blood” said Kyriakos Karagiannopoulos, a member of Original 21. The problem for AEK fans is that there is no one, let alone a diehard AEK supporter, truly interested in taking over a club with so many internal issues and large debts.

“Perhaps its time for the club’s real strength, its supporters, to take to the streets to get results,” said Karagiannopoulos, who admitted that finding a wealthy AEK supporter to take over is becoming near impossible. “We know there are true AEK fans with great wealth who can help the club, but they choose not to for some reason, so we must settle for someone that at least understands the history and philosophy of this club.”

That philosophy he says, is that AEK is a club built on the tradition and culture of its refugee founders, who started the club not long after their arrival from Asia Minor in the early part of last century. “To be AEK is different, its not about trophies and fake accolades, but much more than that” Karagiannopoulos added. Unfortunately for him, and many other AEK supporters, if something is not done soon, by Makris or someone like him, the idea of AEK may soon fade way.