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The Cyprus Sports Organisation (KOA) announced plans Wednesday to build a new 4,000–5,000-seat stadium at the Makario complex in Nicosia and signed a memorandum of understanding with stakeholders in Paphos to upgrade the "Stelios Kyriakides" stadium, aiming to address long-standing infrastructure issues across Cyprus.
KOA President Giannos Ioannou outlined the projects before the Parliamentary Committee on Education, which reviewed KOA’s management of public sports facilities. Lawmakers from multiple parties expressed support but stressed the need for a national strategic plan and improved coordination with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Sports.
The Makario project, to include a running track and training-use pitch in the interim, is part of KOA’s broader infrastructure overhaul. The organization has also approved upgrades to additional facilities in Keryneia, Kykkos, and Paliometocho.
In Paphos, the new agreement, signed with local club Koryvos, the Geroskipou Municipality, and KOA, seeks to address regional needs for the next 25–30 years. An international tender for managing the Stelios Kyriakides stadium is expected within weeks. KOA is also planning a new athletics center in Geroskipou, with assistance from Pafos FC.
Several speakers, including lawmakers and club representatives, criticized the previous KOA board for inaction and poor oversight. Cyprus Football Association (CFA) President Spyros Neophytides and Omonia’s Marios Argyridis described conditions at national stadiums as “tragic,” citing unhygienic facilities and years of neglect.
Legal Services representative Dimitra Kalli confirmed a 2023 rejection of KOA’s earlier proposal for Stelios Kyriakides but said any new contracts must undergo legal and technical scrutiny.
Concerns were also raised over past infrastructure mismanagement. Pafos FC General Manager Haris Theocharous described a €2 million reconstruction at the GSZ stadium in Larnaca as a “scandal,” revealing unsafe stands discovered more than a year into the project.
Lawmakers including DIKO’s Chrysanthos Savvidis and DISY’s Giorgos Karoullas demanded project timelines and urged equal infrastructure development across all districts. DIPA MP Alekos Tryfonides suggested clustering stadiums to improve efficiency.
KOA officials pledged transparency, fiscal discipline, and equal access to resources. Ioannou acknowledged Cyprus ranks among Europe’s lowest in sports facility standards and called for systemic investment: “We must stop patchwork fixes and commit to sustainable development.”
CFA Vice President Philippos Georgiou welcomed the Makario and Stelios Kyriakides plans, calling for realistic projects and improved transparency in football governance. CFA’s Neophytides echoed this sentiment, urging Cyprus to emulate countries where century-old public stadiums remain in top condition.
