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Brisbane A-League defender Avraam Papadopoulos has been handed a suspended two-and-a-half year jail sentence by a Greek court for illegally betting on matches. Agence France-Presse reports Papadopoulos was one of 58 people punished by the three-member Court of Appeal in Athens for their roles in the "Koriopolis" match-fixing scandal in 2011. The 33-year-old spent seven seasons with Greek Super League club Olympiakos, at times serving as captain, and signed an A-League deal last year with the Roar. The Roar were aware of his implication in the scandal when they recruited him, but coach John Aloisi said it was "not a concern" after conducting his own inquiries into Papadopoulos' character. When he arrived in Australia, Papadopoulos claimed the allegations were "not true" and had been blown out of proportion by journalists. He reportedly has the right to appeal the sentence. A Roar spokesperson said: "Brisbane Roar Football Club were aware of an investigation into betting on football matches in Greece between 2009 and 2010 involving Avraam Papadopoulos when he signed for Brisbane in February, 2017." "The club are awaiting further information on this matter and will not be making any further comment at this time." Football Federation Australia declined to comment. Papadopoulos has established himself this season as a feared defender for Brisbane but had missed seven matches after being suspended for spitting at another player.
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