AC Omonia
Athletic Club Omonia Nicosia. The club was established on 4 June 1948; the football team of AC Omonia joined the Cyprus Football Association in 1953. On 29 May 2018 the football team of AC Omonia became a profesional for-profit football company. Omonia is one of the most popular and successful football clubs in Cyprus, having won 20 national championships, 14 cups and 16 super cups. Omonia holds an outstanding record of 14 championships in two decades, between 1970–1989 and, together with APOEL, holds the record of having won the championship six times in a row and the Cypriot Cup four times in a row; the AC Omonia operates basketball, volleyball and futsal. The latter one is being successful, having won the league and cup in three consecutive years since 2011. On 23 May 1948, the board of APOEL sent a telegram to the Hellenic Association of Amateur Athletics, with the opportunity of the annual Panhellenic Track and Field Competition. In its telegram, it stated its wish for the "communist mutiny" to be ended.
Club players considering this action as a political comment on the Greek Civil War distanced themselves or were expelled from APOEL. On 4 June 1948, Dr. Mattheos Papapetrou organized a meeting in Nicosia that led to the creation of Omonia. Many players expelled from APOEL joined the new club. Along with other left-wing teams such as Nea Salamina, Alki Larnaca and Orfeas Nicosia, Omonia helped create in December 1948 the Cyprus Amateur Football Federation. Omonia took part in the CAFF league until 1953, having won four out of five played championships and five out of five played cups. Omonia was accepted by the Cyprus Football Association to participate in the Cypriot First Division After joining the Cypriot First Division in 1953, Omonia only placed seventh out of nine teams in the 1953–54 season avoiding relegation. During that decade, the club's best placing came during the 1956–57 season when the club finished in the third position; the team would make its closest push for the title during the 1959–60 season after finishing second, one point behind Anorthosis Famagusta.
The following year, after seven seasons in the First Division, the club would win its first title in 1960–61 season. Omonia, in that season, would score 91 goals in 24 matches on their way to their first Cyprus First Division title. Omonia won their second title during the 1965–66 season. Omonia won its first trophies of the decade in 1972, when the club won both the cup. Led by a young Sotiris Kaiafas, Omonia won seven league titles in the 1970s, six of them were consecutive. At the end of the decade, Omonia had a total of three cups. At the end of the 1979 season, Omonia trailed its arch-rival APOEL by two championships. In 1976, Sotiris Kaiafas would go on and win the European Golden Shoe for his single-season 39-goal performance. In 2003, he was awarded the UEFA Jubilee Awards for the Best Cypriot Footballer of the 20th century; the 1980s was a successful decade for the club as it won an additional seven Cypriot League Championship titles including another five consecutive in 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, in 1987 and in 1989.
As the 1980s came to an end, Omonia had won 14 Cypriot championship titles, becoming the most successful team on the island at the time. The 1990s would prove to be less successful than the previous two decades. During this time, Omonia only mustered one Cypriot League title during the 1992–93 season, it would be eight years. In 1997, Omonia signed the German Rainer Rauffmann, who would become the second top goalscorer for the club. With the help of other Omonia great and captain, Costas Malekkos, a young Costas Kaiafas, Rauffmann would become top scorer of the Cypriot First Division in 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00 and 2000–01 seasons and led Omonia to two titles. After a disappointing eight seasons, the 2000s decade began with a trophy. Omonia celebrated its 18th Cypriot league championship title in 2001. Now captained by Costas Kaiafas, Omonia would win its 19th Cypriot League Championship again in 2003. Since 2003, the team would stumble and be without a title for the next several years. After numerous seasons of poor signings and underachieving, Omonia's reigns would be taken over by new chairman and team president, Miltiadis Neophytou in 2008.
The team would soon be put back on track starting in 2006, beginning with the signing of Cyprus international goalkeeper Antonis Georgallides. Omonia would continue its star-studded signings by acquiring Cypriot stars, playing abroad, such as Elias Charalambous and Stathis Aloneftis. Omonia would make headlines with the shocking signing of all-time leading scorer for Cyprus, Michalis Konstantinou. In 2009, Omonia would sign another Cypriot star, Konstantinos Makrides. En route, Omonia would acquire young Cypriot hopefuls, 21-year-old Dimitris Christofi and 20-year-old Georgios Efrem. Efrem, playing on the youth team of Arsenal and Scottish side Rangers, would be the final piece to the puzzle needed to win its 20th Cypriot league championship. After putting the proper pieces in place, Omonia did just that. During the 2009–10 season, led by the new captain, Elias Charalambous, Omonia would not lose a single derby, including play-offs matches against either, APOEL, Anorthosis Famagusta nor Apollon.
Head coach Takis Lemonis left the club after disappointing results and Dušan Bajević became the new coach in October 2010, but was fired in April 2011. He was replaced by Neophytos Larkou. Omonia would not be able to
Cyprus
Cyprus the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean and the third largest and third most populous island in the Mediterranean, located south of Turkey, west of Syria and Lebanon, northwest of Israel, north of Egypt, southeast of Greece. The earliest known human activity on the island dates to around the 10th millennium BC. Archaeological remains from this period include the well-preserved Neolithic village of Khirokitia, Cyprus is home to some of the oldest water wells in the world. Cyprus was settled by Mycenaean Greeks in two waves in the 2nd millennium BC; as a strategic location in the Middle East, it was subsequently occupied by several major powers, including the empires of the Assyrians and Persians, from whom the island was seized in 333 BC by Alexander the Great. Subsequent rule by Ptolemaic Egypt, the Classical and Eastern Roman Empire, Arab caliphates for a short period, the French Lusignan dynasty and the Venetians, was followed by over three centuries of Ottoman rule between 1571 and 1878.
Cyprus was placed under the UK's administration based on the Cyprus Convention in 1878 and was formally annexed by Britain in 1914. While Turkish Cypriots made up 18% of the population, the partition of Cyprus and creation of a Turkish state in the north became a policy of Turkish Cypriot leaders and Turkey in the 1950s. Turkish leaders for a period advocated the annexation of Cyprus to Turkey as Cyprus was considered an "extension of Anatolia" by them. Following nationalist violence in the 1950s, Cyprus was granted independence in 1960; the crisis of 1963–64 brought further intercommunal violence between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, which displaced more than 25,000 Turkish Cypriots into enclaves and brought the end of Turkish Cypriot representation in the republic. On 15 July 1974, a coup d'état was staged by Greek Cypriot nationalists and elements of the Greek military junta in an attempt at enosis, the incorporation of Cyprus into Greece; this action precipitated the Turkish invasion of Cyprus on 20 July, which led to the capture of the present-day territory of Northern Cyprus in the following month, after a ceasefire collapsed, the displacement of over 150,000 Greek Cypriots and 50,000 Turkish Cypriots.
A separate Turkish Cypriot state in the north was established by unilateral declaration in 1983. These events and the resulting political situation are matters of a continuing dispute; the Republic of Cyprus has de jure sovereignty over the entire island, including its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone, with the exception of the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, which remain under the UK's control according to the London and Zürich Agreements. However, the Republic of Cyprus is de facto partitioned into two main parts: the area under the effective control of the Republic, located in the south and west, comprising about 59% of the island's area. Another nearly 4% of the island's area is covered by the UN buffer zone; the international community considers the northern part of the island as territory of the Republic of Cyprus occupied by Turkish forces. The occupation is viewed as illegal under international law, amounting to illegal occupation of EU territory since Cyprus became a member of the European Union.
Cyprus is a major tourist destination in the Mediterranean. With an advanced, high-income economy and a high Human Development Index, the Republic of Cyprus has been a member of the Commonwealth since 1961 and was a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement until it joined the European Union on 1 May 2004. On 1 January 2008, the Republic of Cyprus joined the eurozone; the earliest attested reference to Cyprus is the 15th century BC Mycenaean Greek, ku-pi-ri-jo, meaning "Cypriot", written in Linear B syllabic script. The classical Greek form of the name is Κύπρος; the etymology of the name is unknown. Suggestions include: the Greek word for the Mediterranean cypress tree, κυπάρισσος the Greek name of the henna tree, κύπρος an Eteocypriot word for copper, it has been suggested, for example, that it has roots in the Sumerian word for copper or for bronze, from the large deposits of copper ore found on the island. Through overseas trade, the island has given its name to the Classical Latin word for copper through the phrase aes Cyprium, "metal of Cyprus" shortened to Cuprum.
The standard demonym relating to Cyprus or its people or culture is Cypriot. The terms Cypriote and Cyprian are used, though less frequently; the earliest confirmed site of human activity on Cyprus is Aetokremnos, situated on the south coast, indicating that hunter-gatherers were active on the island from around 10,000 BC, with settled village communities dating from 8200 BC. The arrival of the first humans correlates with the extinction of the dwarf hippos and dwarf elephants. Water wells discovered by archaeologists in western Cyprus are believed to be among the oldest in the world, dated at 9,000 to 10,500 years old. Remains of an 8-month-old cat were discovered buried with a human body at a separate Neolithic site in Cyprus; the grave is estimated to be 9,500 years old, predating ancient Egyptian civilisation and pushing back the ear
Nicosia
Nicosia is the largest city and seat of government of the island of Cyprus. It is located on the banks of the River Pedieos. Nicosia is the southeasternmost of all EU member states' capitals, it has been continuously inhabited for over 4,500 years and has been the capital of Cyprus since the 10th century. The Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities of Nicosia segregated into the south and north of the city in early 1964, following the fighting of the Cyprus crisis of 1963–64 that broke out in the city; this separation became a militarized border between the Republic of Cyprus and Northern Cyprus after Turkey invaded the island of Cyprus in 1974, occupying the north of the island, including northern Nicosia. Today North Nicosia is the capital of Northern Cyprus, a state recognized only by Turkey, considered to be occupied Cypriot territory by the international community. Apart from its legislative and administrative functions, Nicosia has established itself as the island's financial capital and its main international business centre.
In 2018, Nicosia was the 32nd richest city in the world in relative purchasing power. The earliest mention of Nicosia is in the clay prism of the Assyrian king Esarhaddon in 672 BC; this is a mention to the city-state of Ledra located on the site of Nicosia, the city is named "Lidir". The name Ledra and variations remained in use as late as 392 AD, when it was used in writing by Saint Jerome. However, that text refers the city as "Leucotheon", early Christian sources of this period are the first to use similar variations of the name Lefkosia; the origin of the name "Lefkosia" is considered by scholars to be a "toponymic puzzle". The name is recorded in the majority of Byzantine sources as "Leukousia", it is accepted in literature that the name "most probably" derives from the Greek phrase "leuke ousia". Nicosia has been in continuous habitation since the beginning of the Bronze Age 2500 years BC, when the first inhabitants settled in the fertile plain of Mesaoria. Nicosia became a city-state known as Ledra or Ledrae, one of the twelve kingdoms of ancient Cyprus built by Achaeans after the end of the Trojan War.
Remains of old Ledra today can be found in the Ayia Paraskevi hill in the south east of the city. Only one king of Ledra is known: Onasagoras; the kingdom of Ledra was destroyed early. Under Assyrian rule of Cyprus, Onasagoras was recorded as paying tribute to Esarhaddon of Assyria in 672 BC. By 330 BC, Ledra was recorded to be a small unimportant town, it is thought that the settlement was economically and politically dependent on the nearby town of Chytri. The main activity of the town inhabitants was farming. During this era, Ledra did not have the huge growth that the other Cypriot coastal towns had, based on trade. In Byzantine times, the town was referred to as Λευκωσία or as Καλληνίκησις. In the 4th century AD, the town became the seat of bishopric, with bishop Saint Tryphillius, a student of Saint Spyridon. Archaeological evidence indicates that the town regained much of its earlier significance in the early Christian period, the presence of two or three basilicas with opus sectile decorations, along with marbles decorated with high relief indicate the presence of a prosperous and sophisticated Christian society.
After the destruction of Salamis, the existing capital of Cyprus, by Arab raids in 647, along with extensive damage to other coastal settlements, the economy of the island became much more inward-looking and inland towns gained relative significance. Nicosia benefited from this and functioned as an outlet of the agricultural products from its hinterland, the Mesaoria plain, it further was at an advantageous position due to its ample water supply. As such, the town developed enough for the Byzantine Empire to choose Nicosia as the capital of the island around 965, when Cyprus rejoined the Byzantine Empire; the Byzantines moved the island's administration seat to Nicosia for security reasons as coastal towns were suffering from raids. From that point on it has remained as the capital of Cyprus. Nicosia was the seat of the Byzantine governor of Cyprus. Testimony as late as 1211 indicates that Nicosia was not a walled city at that point and thus that the Byzantines did not build a city wall, thinking that the city's inland location would be sufficient for defense purposes.
The Byzantines did, build a weak fort within the city. The economy under Byzantine rule consisted of the trading of agricultural goods, but the town produced luxury items and metalware due to the presence of the imperial administration. On his way to the Holy Land during the Third Crusade in 1187, Richard I of England's fleet was plagued by storms, he himself stopped first at Crete and at Rhodes. Three ships continued on, one of, carrying Joan of England, Queen of Sicily and Berengaria of Navarre, Richard's bride-to-be. Two of the ships were wrecked off Cyprus, but the ship bearing Joan and Berengaria made it safely to Limassol. Joan refused to come ashore, fearing she would be captured and held hostage by Isaac Komnenos of Cyprus, who hated all Franks, her ship sat at anchor for a full week before Richard arrived on 8 May. Outraged at the treatment of his sister and his future bride, Richard invaded. Richard laid siege to Nicosia met and defeated Isaac Komnenos at Tremetousia and became ruler of the island, but sold it to the Knights Templar.
The Fr
APOEL FC
APOEL FC is a professional football club based in Nicosia, Cyprus. APOEL is the most popular and the most successful football team in Cyprus with an overall tally of 27 national championships, 21 cups, 13 super cups. APOEL's greatest moment in the European competitions occurred in the 2011–12 season, when the club participated in the group stages of the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League; the club achieved qualification for the quarter-finals of the competition by topping the group and eliminating Olympique Lyonnais in the last 16, becoming the only Cypriot club to reach the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. APOEL's European competitions highlights include appearances in the group stages of the 2009–10 and 2014–15 UEFA Champions League and the group stages of the 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17 UEFA Europa League, they marked their most successful UEFA Europa League campaign during the 2016–17 season, when they managed to top their group and eliminated Athletic Bilbao in the round of 32, to reach the last 16 of the competition for the first time in their history.
APOEL is the only Cypriot club. In the 2016–17 season, APOEL drew an average home league attendance of 7,126 and their highest league attendance was 15,462. Both were the highest in the league. APOEL FC is part of the APOEL multi-sport club, founded in 1926 and maintains departments for several sports including football, volleyball, table tennis, cycling, archery and water polo. APOEL is one of the founding members of the Cyprus Football Association and an ordinary member of the European Club Association, an organization that replaced the previous G-14 which consists of major football clubs in Europe; the club was formed as POEL on 8 November 1926. The club's formation came about when a group of forty people, with a common vision and set the foundations for creating a football club that would represent the Greek residents of the capital and express their deep desire for Cyprus' incorporation into Greece; the meeting took place at a traditional confectionery, owned by Charalambos Hadjioannou, downtown in Ledra Street and the first president of the club was Giorgos Poulias.
The first clubhouse was the "Athenians Club" at the end of Ledra Street. After a journey to the football club in Alexandria, Egypt in 1927 the General Assembly of 1928 decided the players showed that they were not just good footballers but excellent track and field athletes. Hence it was decided to create a field team in addition to the football team; the name APOEL was adopted to reflect this, with the'A' standing for'Athletic'. Soon after a volleyball team and a table tennis team were established. Cyprus did not have any country-wide league until 1932. Football clubs of the time played friendly matches only. In 1932, Pezoporikos Larnaca organised an unofficial league, the first island-wide league, it was won by APOEL after defeating AEL Limassol in the final by 4–0. In 1934, there was a disagreement between Trust and Anorthosis Famagusta on the organisation of the fourth unofficial league. APOEL and AEL Limassol organised a meeting for the foundation of a country-wide governing body and an official country-wide league.
The meeting took place in APOEL's clubhouse on 23 September and the establishment of the Cyprus Football Association was agreed. Two years the APOEL football team celebrated its first championship title of the official Cyprus football league. APOEL won the championship for the following four years, making this a successful period for the club with 5 consecutive championships. Politics, would soon spark conflict within the team. On 23 May 1948 the board of the club send a telegram to the Hellenic Association of Amateur Athletics, with the opportunity of the annual Panhellenic Track and Field Competition, which included wishes that "the rebellion" is finished. Several leftist club members perceived the telegram as a political comment on the Greek Civil War and they distanced themselves from the club. A few days on 4 June 1948, they founded AC Omonia, which until today is the archrival of APOEL and there has been a traditional animosity between the fans of the two teams. More conflicts led to further struggles for APOEL.
Athletes belonging to the club participated in national clashes. During the 1955–59 national uprising against the British, many of APOEL's athletes and members of the club were active members of EOKA, the most outstanding example being the club's track and field athlete Michalakis Karaolis, hanged by the British colonial authorities. During this period the football team had their closest brush with relegation as most football players were taking part in the national struggle; the football team were back to full strength and made their debut in European Competitions in 1963, when they faced the Norwegian team SK Gjøvik-Lyn in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. Two victories for APOEL over both legs marked APOEL's successful European debut, as they became the first Hellenic team to progress in a European Competition; the next round against the tournament winners Sporting Clube de
GSP Stadium
The Pancyprian Gymnastic Association Stadium is a football stadium in Strovolos, Nicosia District, Cyprus. Although small by international standards, it is the largest stadium in Cyprus, with a capacity of 22,859 and was opened in 1999, it serves as the home stadium for the two Omonia. It is the home stadium of the Cyprus national football team. A stadium under the same name, the old GSP Stadium, existed from 1902 until 1999 in the centre of Nicosia and had a capacity of 12,000. Designed by Theo. David Architects, the new GSP Stadium opened for use on 6 October 1999; the complex has three arenas: a football stadium, an athletics stadium and an auxiliary football pitch intended for training. The stadium is owned by the Pancyprian Gymnastic Association. With an official seating capacity of 22,859 the new GSP is the largest football venue in Cyprus, it is located at the entrance to Nicosia and was inaugurated in 1999 by the then-President Glafcos Clerides and Archbishop Chrysostomos I. The first game held on 6 October 1999 and there was a friendly match between APOEL and Omonia, which ended 3–3.
Since the stadium is not only the home of Nicosian teams but of Cyprus national football team. During the World Cup 2006 qualifying round it was used as home for all matches of Cyprus; the stadium is the only one in Cyprus. For this reason since 2004 it is used as home for all the teams of Cyprus in European Cups. Annually, the stadium hosts the Cypriot Super Cup; until 2005, it was hosting annually the Cypriot Cup final. In 2002 the stadium was home for Israeli clubs for the UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League matches, it hosted the UEFA Cup quarter final between Hapoel Tel Aviv and A. C. Milan, it was used by Maccabi Haifa for home stadium for the 2002–03 UEFA Champions League group stage matches and for the UEFA Cup matches. Some matches were attractive for Cypriots like the matches Maccabi Haifa-Olympiacos CFP and Maccabi Haifa-Manchester United, since those two Maccabi's rivals are popular in Cyprus. It's the only stadium in Cyprus build only for field games. In addition with the hotel, it provides a full training centre solution for athletes all over the world.
During the Athens 2004 Olympic Games many athletes from different countries used the stadium for training. In 2001 Bruno Zauli, took place here with great success; the GSP Stadium hosted all home matches of Anorthosis Famagusta's 2008–09 UEFA Champions League group stage campaign and all APOEL's 2009–10 UEFA Champions League group stage home matches. Two years it hosted all APOEL's home matches in the club's surprising run to the quarter-finals of the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League, it hosted again all APOEL's home matches in their third participation in the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League group stages. All matches. GSP Stadium hosted AEK Larnaca's 2011–12 UEFA Europa League group stage matches, AEL Limassol's 2012–13 UEFA Europa League group stage matches, APOEL's and Apollon Limassol's 2013–14 UEFA Europa League group stage matches, Apollon's 2014–15 UEFA Europa League group stage matches and APOEL's 2015–16 group stage matches. GSP Stadium hosted all APOEL's home matches in the club's impressive run to the last 16 of the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League.
Due to riots in Kiev and after UEFA's decision, GSP Stadium hosted the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League round of 32 match between Dynamo Kyiv and Valencia CF on 20 February 2014, which ended in 0–2 Valencia win. In the 2016–17 domestic league season, tenants APOEL drew the highest average home attendance; the all-time attendance record for the football stadium is 23,043 tickets in the match between APOEL and Omonia for the 2002–03 Cypriot First Division. The match was ended in a goalless draw; the record of the highest attendance for a European Competition game is 22,701 tickets in the match between APOEL and Olympique Lyonnais for the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League last-16. The match was held on March 7, 2012 and ended with a 1–0 win for APOEL after extra time and 4–3 win on penalties. Source: European Football Statistics GSP Football Stadium Weight Lifting Room Lockers Doping Control Room Referees Lockers Delegate Room Indoor Warm Up Area Conference Rooms Secretarial facilities Restaurant Cafeteria Storage rooms Press room First Aid room – Medical Center Physiotherapy room Press room VIP boxes Special seats for disabled people Air conditioning Central heating Fire alarm Telecommunication services Internet services – Wi-Fi Internet access CCTV Matrix screen Pitch size = 105m x 68m Lighting = 1400 lux VIP private boxes = 31 Press seats = 200 seats Parking place = 2000 cars Annual events = 100–110 eventsOutdoors and yet covered, the Stadium Square offers the best of both worlds, for large-scale activities of any kind.
Located between the football stadium and the track and field stadium, this vast space provides maximum flexibility, as it can be furnished and equipped, decorated or divided as required for each event. Providing ample space for activities and live DJ events – with or without paid entrance facilities – the Stadium square lends itself to: Full-scale parties, christenings or weddings Concerts Exhibitions Fun fair and bazaars GSP Track and Field Stadium Capacity = 5200 Seats IAAF Certificate = Class A Lighting = 800 luxIncludes: Weightlifting room – Gym Indoor warmup area Photofinish installations Lockers Doping control room Physiotherapy room Snack bars/canteens/restaurants Storage rooms First Aid room Press Room Telecommunication services Special seats for disabled people Air conditioning Cen
AEL Limassol
Athlitiki Enosi Lemesou known as AEL, is a Cypriot sports club based in the city of Limassol, most famous for its football team. AEL maintains a men's and women's basketball teams, a women's volleyball team and a Futsal team, a women's handball team as well as a cricket team. AEL is one of the most successful clubs on the island with 16 official football trophies consisting of 6 first division championships, 6 cups and 4 super cups; the basketball branch of AEL is well known being the only team from Cyprus in any sport to have won a European title. Limassol's official club mascot is a Lion, affectionately nicknamed the lions by their fans; the club was founded on 4 October 1930, with Stavros Pittas serving as the club's first president. The football section of the club competed in its first game on 6 January 1931 against PSC, winning 6–1 in Limassol; the club won the national championship in 1934 though this is not credited as it is an unofficial title. That year, AEL became one of the eight founding members of the Cypriot First Division for the 1934–35 season, the first official league of the country.
AEL Limassol celebrated its first official title success in 1941, defeating APOEL 4–3 in a two-legged championship play-off. AEL fans had to wait 12 years until tasting title success again, as the club became champions of Cyprus again in 1953. AEL would twice repeat this success, winning back-to-back league championships in 1955 and 1956; the club won its last major trophy in 1989 – before the title success of 2012 – when it defeated city rivals Aris Limassol 3–2 after extra time in final of the Cypriot Cup. In 2011, after disappointingly finishing in seventh-place in the previous campaign, AEL hired Pambos Christodoulou, who had a reputation of steering "modest sides away from relegation", to start the club's rebuilding process. AEL Limassol secured the Cypriot league title for the first time since 1968 on 5 May 2012, ending a 44-year drought without a Cypriot first division title. Christodoulou had a dream-like first season at the helm AEL, as his side was unbeaten and had not conceded any goals through the first five games.
At the end of the second round, AEL finished top of the table, three points clear of the second placed team and had only conceded seven goals, the best defensive record of all the league teams. In the play-off round, AEL battled with the top four teams for the championship, winning it with one game to spare and conceding only nine goals; as Christodoulou has managed to bring AEL the championship crown, he was nicknamed by fans "Pambourinho", a combination of his name and of esteemed manager José Mourinho. AEL received the championship trophy during a spectacular "fiesta" evening at the Tsirion Stadium on the evening of Saturday 12 May 2012, they followed this with an open-top bus parade through Limassol. Up to 7,000 AEL fans packed the stadium to watch the trophy presentation; the club turned their attention to the Cup Final of 16 May against Omonia and the chance to be crowned double winners for the first time in club history. The following year, AEL made it to the group stage of a UEFA tournament for the first time, finishing last and picking up four points in their UEFA Europa League group.
On 22 October 2013, Angolan manager Lito Vidigal was sacked after just over three months in charge. Bulgarian Ivaylo Petev was appointed as AEL's manager on 25 October, having guided Ludogorets Razgrad to promotion to the A Group as well as two A Group titles, a Bulgarian Cup win as well as a triumph in the Bulgarian Super Cup. Petev signed an initial deal to stay at AEL until the end of the 2014–15 season. At the end of the 2013–14 season, AEL finished in first place in the initial phase of the competition. Going into the championship match against APOEL on 17 May 2014, AEL needed only a draw to secure their second league title in three years; the match, was abandoned after 52 minutes when firecrackers thrown by AEL fans struck APOEL player Kaká. The match was replayed behind closed doors at a neutral stadium on 31 May 2014, APOEL achieved to win their second consecutive league title after beating AEL 1–0, courtesy of a Cillian Sheridan goal. On 6 June 2014, the Cyprus Football Association's disciplinary committee – acting as an appeals board – unanimously cancelled on the CFA council’s decision to repeat the 17 May championship final, awarding the match to APOEL with a 0–3 score.
AEL winger Jorge Monteiro finished the season as joint-top scorer in the league with 18 goals, the former Porto academy product was voted player of the year by the CFA. AEL finished in the 4th place of the championship of 2016–2017 and as a result the team won a place in the first qualifying round of Europa League. Furthermore, AEL achieved to go up to third qualifying round from a not fair play game from the referee Artyom Kuchin and the players of Austria Wien; the referee had show the white dot of the penalty for a ghost faul outside of the box of AEL and a red card for AEL defender Marco Airosa in the twenty second minute. AEL had fight for the win for the whole game to achieve two goals that send her in the play offs but the score finished 1–2; the football department of AEL is owned by AEL Football Ltd, a public limited company, since 2009. The company's main activity is the management and commercial exploitation of AEL Football club. AEL plays its home matches at the 14,000-seat Tsirion Stadium known as the Olympia Stadium.
Tsirion Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Limassol. It is used for football matches and is the home ground
Alpha TV Cyprus
Alpha Cyprus is a Cypriot Channel, created in 2015, a Sister-Channel of Alpha TV Greece, & operates its programs. The general manager is Petros Petrou. Alpha Cyprus is one of the Highest-rated channels in Cyprus. October 13, 2015: Alpha TV Cyprus is founded. Alpha Television Cyprus Limited is the owner of the Alpha TV company in Cyprus. A major shareholder of the company is the entrepreneur and owner of Alpha TV, the Greek TV station of the same name, Dimitris Kontominas. November 9, 2015: Dimitris Kontominas filed with the Cyprus Broadcasting Authority request for permission to obtain a free Cyprus Broadcast. November 27, 2015: Alpha TV got licensed to broadcast in Cyprus. March 21, 2016: Official presentation of Alpha Cyprus takes place at a press conference; the program of the station & the staff members of the new channel will be presented. April 4, 2016: Alpha Cyprus begins operation, having coverage in all of Cyprus. April 11, 2018: All the shares of Alpha Cyprus are sold to the Papaellinas Group S.
A. for €7 Million. Main article: List of programs broadcast by Alpha TV Eleni - Variety/lifestyle show featuring entertainment as well as segments on cooking, astrology, youth issues. Hosted by well-known greek presenter Eleni Menegaki. Fos Sto Tounel - Informative series that focuses on finding missing persons. In its nineteenth season and hosted by Aggeliki Nikolouli. Spiti Mou, Spitaki Mou - Weekend morning show. Hosted by Konstantina Spyropoulou. 60' Ellada - Documentary series traveling throughout Greece showcasing everyday life in different parts of the country. Hosted by Nikos Manesis and in its third season. 360° - Documentary series in its second season hosted by Sofia Papaioannou Pame Paketo - talk show. Hosted by Viki Xatzivasileiou. Min Arhizeis Ti Mourmoura - family comedy series in its 6th season. To Soi Sou - comedy series in its 5th season, started in November 2014. Ela Sti Thesi Mou - Comedy series in its 3rd season. Tatouaz - Drama series in its 2nd season. Deal or No Deal - hosted by Christos Ferentinos.
I Familia - Cypriot TV Series which started its first season. Gineka Xoris Onoma - Cypriot TV series on its 1st season. Me Agapi Xristiana - Variety/lifestyle show featuring entertainment as well as segments on cooking, astrology, youth issues. Hosted by well-known Cypriot presenter Christiana Aristotelous. Louis Night Show - a satirical, comic show, in its 3rd season, hosted by a well-known Cypriot comedian Louis Patsalides. Alpha Proini Enimerosi - Weekend morning news program hosted by Konstantinos Konstantinou. Mple - a new comedy show on its first season. Τον Απρίλιο έρχομαι σπίτι σου Μαζί στον ALPHA Κύπρου The official Website of Alpha Cyprus Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram AlphaNews. Live
Cyprus (Cyprus Football Association)