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Former Golden Dawn leading member Ilias Kasidiaris has publicly thanked supporters of APOEL whom he described as “nationalist fans” after receiving a shirt bearing the Nicosia club’s colours, using the occasion to promote the slogan “Greece, Cyprus, Union”.
In a social media post published on Monday evening, November 9, Kasidiaris shared two photographs of himself wearing the APOEL shirt, claiming it had been presented to him by supporters to mark the club's 100th anniversary.
The post, which circulated rapidly across social media, came just one day after APOEL's centenary celebrations on November 8. Kasidiaris described the club as the historic “Association of Greeks of Nicosia” and expressed his gratitude to what he called its “nationalist fans”.
Ευχαριστώ τους Εθνικιστές φιλάθλους του ΑΠΟΕΛ για την εμφάνιση που μου δώρισαν για τα 100 χρόνια του ιστορικού Ομίλου ΕΛΛΗΝΩΝ Λευκωσίας. ΕΛΛΑΣ - ΚΥΠΡΟΣ - ΕΝΩΣΙΣ! https://t.co/Bglp1CiRQr
— Ηλίας Κασιδιάρης (@IliasKasidiaris) November 9, 2026
His message concluded with the words: “Greece, Cyprus, Union”, a slogan historically associated with the movement advocating Enosis, or the political union of Cyprus with Greece.
Kasidiaris is a former prominent figure in Golden Dawn, the Greek political party described by Euronews as neo-Nazi, whose leadership was convicted in 2020 of participating in a criminal organisation. He received a 13-year prison sentence for his role in the organisation, which was linked to violent attacks against migrants and political opponents, as well as the 2013 murder of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas.
He was released from prison on November 9 after serving part of his sentence and immediately announced his intention to return to political activity in Greece, signalling plans to establish a new political movement.
His continued political ambitions have attracted attention because of Golden Dawn's violent record and his previous attempts to maintain a political following while incarcerated.
The latest post now places APOEL supporters in the public conversation surrounding his return, although Kasidiaris's account does not establish the identities of those who gave him the shirt or whether the gesture represented any official position by the club.
The distinction is particularly important for a club with a century-long history and a substantial following in Cyprus. A gift from individual supporters should not be confused with an endorsement by APOEL itself.
Nevertheless, Kasidiaris chose to publicise the encounter, explicitly identifying the people behind the gift as nationalists and attaching a politically charged unionist slogan to the photographs.
For a figure seeking to re-establish himself in Greek politics, the public association with supporters of a prominent Cypriot football club offers an opportunity to draw attention to his political message beyond Greece's borders.
With information from Euronews and Ilias Kasidiaris X.
