The top tax official will on Wednesday give wayward football clubs one last chance to comply with their obligations or else, reports said on Tuesday.

Tax commissioner Soteris Markides will meet with representatives of First Division clubs in the afternoon.

According to Politis, there Markides will make it clear to the clubs that his department will tolerate no more tax arrears and that, should the clubs fall behind on their dues, he will immediately enforce the law – meaning filing charges and/or taking measures for forced recovery of tax dues, such as placing an encumbrance on their assets and freezing their bank accounts.

The message Markides will convey is that “there are no more chances,” said the newspaper.

The meeting is being held ahead of the next football season.

Last week in parliament, the tax commissioner said that, in his personal opinion, the top five wayward clubs had fallen foul of a debt repayment scheme as far back as November 2024.

But the clubs were granted another extension, until the end of 2024. Again they did not meet their obligations under the scheme. Then in February this year, Markides said, he got verbal instructions from the finance ministry to give the clubs one last chance – by the end of March.

The worst offenders among the clubs are Apoel, Ael, Apollon, Anorthosis, and Ethnikos Achnas.

According to tax department data, the five clubs’ outstanding debts are: Apoel €11.6 million; Ael €5 million; Apollon €4.8 million; Anorthosis €4.2 million; and Ethnikos Achnas €100,000.