They describe it as a physically demanding, tough league, with a lot of one-on-ones and more than many others in European football, but they also say “it’s the dirtiest in the world”, under constant scrutiny for the fight. and host footballers accused of sexual assault seeking refuge here to avoid giving explanations to the media.
This is how they describe cyprus league some former players. “Here you have a good climate and a lot of rich investors for the clubs. It’s a pretty easy way to get out of Europe. So it’s not bad to go, but it’s not the best either,” said Nahir Besara, who played for Pafos FC during the six months before the pandemic arrived. “Depending on how old you are and at the moment in your career, it’s fine. For a slightly older player this might be the best you can get. Good climate, good salary and good accommodation.”
And this itself, among other things, attracts a high percentage of foreign players here. Players come here and get a chance to start their lives and careers over. “In Sweden, for example, it’s a scandal, but not here and I don’t really know why,” said Thanos Lakiotis, a journalist and football commentator in Cyprus.
Jesper Jansson lives in Larnaca, and since this summer he has been the sports director of the Nicosia team, Omonia FC. He does not want to discuss the signing of former Hammarby player and also convicted of rape, Akinkunmi Amoo. So is the club. In September 2022, he was arrested on suspicion of rape and sexual harassment. In June 2023 he was convicted, despite denying it, on all three charges in Copenhagen. He was sentenced to one year in prison and deportation with an entry ban for six years. After appealing, he is free pending his next trial, in July.
Former Sirius and MFF player Kingsley Sarfo, who is in prison in Sweden convicted of child rape, plays for another Nicosia club, APOEL. His club put him out of reach of reporters. “Sarfo cannot play in a Schengen country, but Cyprus is not yet part of that cooperation, so this is an opportunity for him. However, he is not allowed to travel when APOEL plays European matches in those countries Schengen,” he said. Thanos Lakiotis.
Widespread corruption problem
The same applies to Russian player Aleksandr Kokorin, who is in prison in Russia for attacking two Russian government officials. Lakiotis does not recall club representatives answering questions about these signings. This summer, Pafos FC signed Brazilian player Alef Manga (Coritiba). Later, he was suspected of involvement in a match-fixing scandal. He was banned from playing in Brazil until his trial and was loaned out to Pafos.
Match-fixing in particular is reported to be a major problem in Cyprus. Since the introduction of VAR a few years ago, many people say it has improved and the number of cases has decreased, but in a previous survey, more than 60 percent of the league’s players answered yes to the question yes . there was match fixing. “Yes, match-fixing was discussed,” recalls Nahir Besara from his time in Paphos.
“The police are in all the clubs asking questions.”
But several bookmakers have long since stopped betting on the league due to recurring problems. “We consider that the Cypriot league is one of the dirtiest in the world. It is a school of match-fixing that guarantees that players who leave the league will take the problem to their new leagues,” said the general secretary of Federbet a few years. past , Francesco Branca. Federbet is an organization of European casino and bookmaker owners established to, among other things, identify match-fixing and work to eliminate the problem.
The worst place to be a referee
“This must be the most dangerous place in the world to be a referee,” judge Charalambos Skapoullis told ‘The Guardian’ in 2016. In September 2023, referees went on strike after an attack on a mother’s car one of them. In June 2023 the Referees Association facilities were attacked and, in 2020, another car bomb paralyzed the league for a week. “Attacks happen from time to time. Referees go on strike and demand security guarantees for themselves and their families, but even though the state says it is trying to find solutions to the problem, it seems I haven’t had a significant change,” said Thanos.Lakiotis.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
