Cap of 800 away fans set for ‘high-risk’ football matches

Only 800 away fans will be allowed to attend “high-risk” football matches, the Cyprus Football Association (CFA) said on Tuesday.

Following a board meeting, CFA chairman Giorgos Koumas said the ten teams whose matches are considered “high-risk” will be permitted away fan allocations of no more than 800 fans, or 10 per cent of the stadium’s full capacity if it can seat less than 8,000 people.

The ten teams are Apoel, Omonia, Ael, Apollon, Aris, Anorthosis, Aek Larnaca, Pafos FC, Omonia 29M, and Nea Salamina.

The remaining four first division teams, Enosis Neon Paralimni, Ethnikos Achnas, Karmiotissa, and Omonia Aradippou, will not be subject to the new restrictions.

The announcement comes shortly after tensions rose between the CFA and the police after the former unilaterally decided last month to allow away fans to attend games again during the coming season.

Away fans had been banned from all competitive football matches from January after a firecracker launchedfrom a stand hit a player in the head during a Coca Cola Cup tie between Nea Salamina and Apoel.

Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis had reportedly been in favour of the ban being extended into the new season, but the CFA’s board of directors was unanimous in its decision.

The police then responded in August, sending a letter to the CFA outlining stadiums’ responsibilities regarding the safety of fans, players, coaches and other attendees during football matches.

In the letter, the police called on football stadiums to fulfil their obligations to hire an adequate number of stewards and take other measures to guarantee “the smooth and safe conduct of matches”.

The justice ministry also sent the CFA a letter, referring to the 2008 law on the prevention and suppression of violence at sports venues.

That law, among other things, stipulates that stadiums themselves take measures to prevent the public from entering the pitch, and to protect players and referees.

The police also revealed that they had spent €2.7 million in 2023 on overtime payments to police officers for the policing of football matches and other sporting events.

A week after the letters had been sent, the CFA found itself on the end of a bristling announcement from police spokesman Christos Andreou, who went on the attack after the police had refused to work at a friendly match which took place between Omonia 29M and Anorthosis.

The match was initially scheduled to take place at the Glafcos Clerides Stadium in Peristerona, and was initially cancelled altogether, but eventually went ahead behind closed doors at Anorthosis’ Antonis Karas training centre in Larnaca.

Asked about the situation, Andreou said, “the CFA should have thought about that before sending a letter to the clubs”, referring to the CFA’s decision to allow away fans to return.

“The stadium [in Peristerona] has no licence. We wrote a letter to the CFA explaining that the stadium is not licenced and that we could not police that match,” he said.

“There was no chance of us violating the law.”