Greek football clubs Volos and Kavala have won an appeal on Wednesday against relegation over a match-fixing scandal that saw the chairmen of the two provincial clubs banned from the sport for life.
Volos and Kavala will instead remain in the 16-team first division, but Volos will start the new season with a 10-point penalty and Kavala with an eight-point penalty.
The decision was announced by an appeals board of the Greek Football Association. The board upheld the life bans for the chairmen, who have been charged with match-fixing and money laundering.
Greece has sought emergency assistance from UEFA to deal with corruption in football and hasn't ruled out delaying the start of the new season, scheduled for Aug. 27.
More than 60 club officials, players, businessmen and others are under investigation in a Greek corruption probe. Ten people are in custody.
The scandal emerged with Greece battling a major financial crisis, forcing authorities to promise to take a tougher line against corruption by public officials and prominent businessmen.
Volos finished in fifth place last season, while Kavala came seventh.
