Cyprus football leagues officially called off

This year’s first and second division local football leagues were officially called off on Friday, an announcement by the Cyprus Football Association confirmed.

According to the CFA, at a meeting held at the Presidential Palace on Thursday, the government and its health advisory committee rejected a safety protocol drafted by the Association that would allow football leagues to resume.

Among other things, the rejected protocol proposed by the CFA would have seen an entire football team required to remain in quarantine for two weeks if a single player contracted coronavirus, “making the resumption of the football league and its potential suspension particularly precarious.”

As such, upon convening on Friday, the CFA Board of Directors agreed to effectively cancel the 2019-2020 first division Cyta Championship league, as well as the first and second division Coca Cola Cup.

It said this decision would safeguard the health of all involved, from players to technical staff, and added that even if it decided to take the opposite direction, “it is exceptionally difficult time-wise for players to undergo training safely (without injury),” adding that coaches and other experts had set the minimum average preparation time at five and a half weeks.

The CFA added that cancelling the football season was also the only financially viable solution for teams, which have since the outbreak of coronavirus been receiving little to no revenue, despite still having to cover operational costs. Further, the uncertainty that prevailed prior to Friday’s decision also meant teams needed to keep up full operation in case leagues were resumed.

European leagues placements

With the football season officially cancelled, the CFA said the teams currently in the top four positions of the scoreboard will get to represent the island in European Leagues.

As such, Omonia will be representing Cyprus in the Champions League, while Anorthosi, Apoel, and Apollonas, will be playing in the Europa League.

CFA decides to up the number of teams in first division

After relevant requests were made by local teams, the CFA decided to increase the number of teams playing in next year’s first division leagues from 12 to 14.

For this to take place, the CFA said it would not be downgrading two teams from this year’s first division, but will still move up to the first division the teams in the first two positions of the second division points board.