Corfu, February 9, 2026 – The Central Corfu Municipality has withdrawn a controversial proposal for the free concession of the Plantrafos auxiliary football field to a sports club. The decision came after a heated council meeting marked by strong reactions and critical questions from the opposition.
Contentious Council Meeting Leads to Withdrawal
The proposal, initially presented by Mayor Stefanos Poulimenos, aimed to grant the auxiliary football field free of charge to a specific sports club. However, the absence of Deputy Mayor M. Chondrogiannis, who was not present for previous discussions, led to Mayor Poulimenos presenting the motion himself.
Despite the Mayor’s initial arguments in favor of the concession, the proposal was ultimately withdrawn, and a working group will now be established to explore programs for the field’s development. Representatives from AO Kerkyraikos and AO Kerkyra sports clubs were present at the meeting, but not from the club originally named in the proposal.
Opposition Raises Transparency Concerns
Former Mayor M. Hydraios criticized the lack of transparency in the process. She highlighted that the offer was not widely publicized, no appraiser assessed the municipal property, and there is a stream in the area that prevents the legalization of existing properties. Hydraios also pointed out a 400,000 Euro retention from a previous, unpaid contract over ten years old. She argued that a legal concession period is 6 plus 3 years, not 15, and concluded that the issue was premature and should be withdrawn to avoid any suspicion of other motives.
Municipal councilor G. Borbotis questioned the claim of a non-profit organization, stating, “They talk about a non-profit company, but they charge 300 euros per child. Instead of talking about new fields and upgrading clubs, we’re talking about giving a public building to a private entity.”
Takis Metallinos described the situation as a “political scandal,” asking, “I wonder how the Mayor supports a non-transparent process. We are giving municipal property for free for a public welfare project. Then why is there a fee at the Municipal Theater?”
G. Karydis emphasized that the matter exposes the Municipality to its citizens. He noted that while an employee might not have intentionally sent incorrect emails, the meeting minutes indicate that the correct emails were not sent. He also questioned the absence of a representative from the specific sports club to answer questions from the Municipal Council.
Mayor Defends Actions, Denies Scandal
Mayor Poulimenos insisted that the email was sent to all three clubs and firmly denied any involvement of his faction in scandals. He acknowledged that some of the accusations had merit, while others were “out of place.” He countered Hydraios’s remarks by referencing a previous concession of a field to the ROMA team in 2023. “We cannot fix it ourselves as we lack the resources. You throw out a bluff and think that’s how it is. We simply wanted to see the field fixed,” he stated.
The withdrawal of the donation signals a temporary halt to the plans for the Plantrafos auxiliary football field, with further discussions and assessments expected from the newly formed working group.
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