After revealing that Keren Peles’ song for “Sing for Greece 2026” was disqualified following a dispute, Poseidonas Giannopoulos reacts publicly for the first time.
Poseidonas Giannopoulos takes responsibility: the song he submitted together with Israeli creators Keren Peles and Tomer Biran for “Sing for Greece 2026” was disqualified due to his involvement. In an interview aired today on the To Priono show on the ANT1 channel, Giannopoulos openly admitted he understood from the start that his name was the problem and said he was not surprised by the disqualification.
Poseidonas Giannopoulos explained that he had anticipated the outcome:
“As early as November 2nd I told myself – ‘Once they see my name at ERT, there’ll be a problem’”.
He said in the interview. This marks the first time he acknowledges in his own voice that he accepts responsibility and suspects the decision was not purely musical.
Collaboration with Israelis May Have Been a Factor
During the interview, Giannopoulos revealed that the invitation to write the song for singer Xannova Xan came through Keren Peles:
“I was approached from Israel, by a very respected composer there. They asked to add Greek lyrics. I am one‑third of the song – I didn’t submit it, I’m just a co‑writer”.
He emphasized. He said that the song was submitted properly before the November 2 deadline, but noted that the public and political atmosphere that developed afterward changed everything.
“As time went by, I realized the climate was getting heavier. No one would want to risk protests”.
He added. This remark hints that the collaboration became especially sensitive amid public sentiment in Greece regarding Israel’s participation in Eurovision and several countries’ withdrawals from the contest. He further noted:
“There’s a very negative climate toward Israel, but my conscience is clear. What, should we ask for someone’s passport before listening to a song? That’s the most racist thing imaginable”.
The Greek songwriter thus hinted that the Israeli identity of Keren Peles and Tomer Biran might also have played a role in the song’s rejection. However, that claim weakens considering that another Israeli composer, Shai Pinto, is credited with the song “Aphrodite”, performed by Desi G, which remains in the competition. His participation suggests Israeli origins alone did not automatically prevent selection.
Disqualification Confirmed on New Year’s Eve
According to Giannopoulos, the team realized the song had been disqualified on New Year’s Eve:
“On New Year’s Eve, it became clear. They started calling singers – but no call came to Xannova. That’s when we knew it was over”.
Nonetheless, he questioned the final selection’s quality:
“I saw some of the chosen clips. Maybe there’s a good top five. But our song could have easily made the top ten – without a doubt”.
Giannopoulos Avoided Using His Connections
Poseidonas Giannopoulos has an impressive track record in the Eurovision Song Contest. He co‑wrote Greece’s “Secret Combination” by Kalomira, reaching 3rd place at Eurovision 2008. and penned the lyrics for Cyprus’s “Comme Ci, Comme ça” by Evridiki at Eurovision 2007. Despite his experience and network, he avoided any influence‑peddling:
“I didn’t call anyone. Not the committees, not politicians, not friends who like me. I did absolutely nothing”.
ERT Denies – Giannopoulos Unconvinced
The Greek national broadcaster ERT claimed that the selection committee was unaware of the songwriters’ identities. Giannopoulos, however, expressed doubt and said:
“They insist no one knew who wrote what. I’ll leave that for the public to judge”.
“Sing for Greece 2026” is expected to be on February 3rd and 5th, with the grand final scheduled for February 7th.
Greece at Eurovision 2025
“Asteromáta” (in English: “Eyes of Stars”) is the song performed by Klavdia, who represented Greece in the grand final of Eurovision 2025. Greece qualified to the grand final after finishing fourth in the second semi-final, with 112 points. In the grand final, Greece finished sixth in the grand final with 231 points, finishing eighth in both jury’s & public’s votes.
The sixth place that Greece achieved is considered the country’s best result since 2013 — when it ranked sixth as well.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Greece’s 46th participation in Eurovision. Greece joined the competition in 1974 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 2005 when singer Helena Paparizou won first place with the song “My Number One”.
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Ilay Gaist is a leading Israeli content creator and writer specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. He is a well-known commentator with extensive expertise in the contest’s history, rules, and dynamics. His passion for Eurovision drives him to deliver rich, professional, and innovative content to his audience.
Ilay holds a bachelor’s degree in Arabic and has a multilingual background. He also engages in cultural research, with a particular focus on global culinary traditions and the evolution of local cuisines around the world.
