Broke Greek Soccer Team Turns To Brothel For Support

Times are tough all all over, but Greece has seen more than its fair share of financial struggles. Now one organization is has found a way to combine two of Europe’s most recession-proof industries — soccer and sex.

Dirty Tackle reports that amateur soccer club Voukefalas, which needs to make about €10,000 to break even, now sports pink practice jerseys bearing the logos of “Villa Erotica” and “Soula’s House of History,” a pair of brothels. After government cuts and economic problems took its toll on the sponsorship pool, Voukefalas was hurting for money, so they turned to the brothels for sponsorship.

The Associated Press reports that that Voukefalas’ owner Yiannis Batziolas, who runs a travel agency and is backup goalie, said the brothel sponsorship is a matter of survival.

“Unfortunately, amateur football has been abandoned by almost everyone,” he said.

Prostitution is legal in Greece and the team’s new benefactor, brothel owner Soula Alevridou said for him its a question of civic responsibility. Her business, which employs 14 women, is handling the economic crisis just fine.

“If we don’t help our scientists and athletes, where will we be?” she asked. “Greece has educated people, cultured people, and good athletes. It’s better to help them than take our money to Switzerland.”

Though legal, the league Voukefalas plays in has banned the jerseys in game play, saying they are against the sporting ideal, and that it sets a bad example for children. For the time being, the brothel-sponsored soccer jerseys are being used in practice only. Clubs with alcohol or gambling-related sponsors have been able to get around such restrictions by removing the questionable logo on the youth-sized shirts sold to children.

Is a brothel an appropriate sponsor for an amateur soccer team?