World Football

By Barney Spender

ATHENS, April 21 (Reuters) - The legal block to Olympiakos Piraeus being named Greek champions has been cleared after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled out a claim by Apollon Kalamaria, the Greek Football Federation (EPO) announced on Monday.

"With its decision CAS unanimously ruled to reject the provisional measures filed by Apollon Kalamaria against the Greek FA's Appeals commission over Olympiakos," said a statement on the EPO Web site (www.epo.gr).

This decision by the Lausanne-based CAS allows the EPO to rubber stamp the final championship standings with Olympiakos top for an 11th league title in 12 years and AEK Athens second two points behind.

AEK's veteran Brazilian forward Rivaldo threatened on Sunday to leave Greece if the ruling went against his team and in favour of his former club Olympiakos.

The case had been filed after Apollon beat Olympiakos 1-0 on Feb. 3, only to have the result reversed when it emerged they had fielded an ineligible player.

Olympiakos were awarded the three points for the match by the EPO because Apollon's Roman Wallner, signed in January, had already played for the Scottish clubs Falkirk and Hamilton this season.

CAS said in a statement on its Web site (www.tas-cas.org): "On the basis of the undisputed facts of the matter, the CAS panel found that the conditions to grant provisional measures to Apollon Kalamaria and, accordingly, to order that the standings of the Super League not be validated, were not fulfilled."

The statement went on to say that Apollon could still pursue the case although this now looks unlikely.

RIVALDO THREAT

Rivaldo, who helped Brazil win the World Cup in 2002, said he would leave Greece to finish his career in his home country if AEK were not declared champions.

"If we (AEK) are not vindicated I will ask the club president (Demis Nikolaidis) to release me from my contract so that I can leave Greece," Rivaldo told reporters after AEK's 2-0 win over Asteras Tripolis.

"I will probably go back to Brazil to finish my career."

The 36-year old Rivaldo, who won three titles with Olympiakos before joining AEK last year, scored the first goal in Sunday's win and later took a swipe at his former club.

"A team that was not good enough to win the title on the pitch does not deserve the trophy," he said. "Football is a beautiful sport and should be played on the pitch."

As runners-up, AEK will compete in a round-robin tournament with Panathinaikos, Aris Salonika and Panionios -- who finished third, fourth and fifth -- to decide who will take the second Champions League spot and the UEFA Cup places.