The directors of APOEL Football Company are set to appear at the Nicosia District Court tomorrow for unpaid debts amounting to nearly €2.5 million owed to the Social Insurance Fund during the period from 2020 to 2022.
Labour Minister Yiannis Panayiotou stated on state radio that the procedures outlined by the law are being implemented and that the law is applied equally to all without exceptions or special treatment.
Mr Panayiotou added that APOEL Football Company owes an additional €2 million to the Social Insurance Fund for unpaid debts accrued after 2022 and has not taken advantage of any settlement plans to pay off its obligations.
“Punishment is not the ultimate goal,” the Labour Minister said, “but the judicial process is the only way forward for debt repayment.”
“Unprecedented, unethical, and bordering on immorality”
The Labour Minister’s statements about APOEL’s debts have sparked a strong reaction from the club, prompting them to issue the following announcement:
“We are unfortunately compelled to make a public statement regarding everything we have been reading and hearing over the past few days about the issue of tax debts, culminating in today’s remarks by the Labour Minister. He has spent the day hopping between TV and radio channels, seizing the opportunity to advance his career at the expense of APOEL’s name.
It is unprecedented for a state official, let alone a Minister, to publicly discuss court cases that have not yet taken place, while also citing amounts that are inaccurate, as he has not bothered to check payments made in specific cases.
It is unprecedented, unethical, and bordering on immorality for a state official, especially a Minister, to ‘reveal’ (as if to gain more likes on his football-related Facebook posts) that the court case concerns APOEL’s directors. His eagerness to do so is such that he has no shortage of time to inform every type of media about the career opportunity this has presented him. Rest assured, however, that his sensitivity is conveniently absent when similar court cases concerning similar issues fail to attract media attention.
We would like to state the following to the Minister of Labour and to all the “concerned” parties, whether they are state officials, financial journalists, or media outlets that believe they have uncovered the “scoop of the century.”
As APOEL, we have held meetings in recent days and opened channels of communication with all relevant authorities. We have prepared proposals and suggestions for settling the outstanding debts. These plans are long-term, but at the same time, they are sincere and feasible to ensure their implementation.
If the state, the authorities in general, and the “sensitivity” of certain individuals and circles, such as the Minister of Labour Yiannis Panayiotou, do not wish to proceed with these settlements, it will then become evident that their ultimate goal is something else. We will find out in the coming days when we submit our proposals and see who is truly interested in causing harm to APOEL rather than finding a prudent solution. Let us remind everyone that these tax-related issues concern not just our club but 90% of football teams in Cyprus.
We conclude, based on all we are experiencing, that football seems to be the only subject of interest in Cyprus. Everything else is apparently of secondary importance. Statements concerning football, and especially APOEL, will garner more clicks and public applause than any statements about non-football-related debtors who owe hundreds of millions.
We remind the Minister that almost every year, there are delayed tax payments to the state amounting to €2,000,000,000. Collectively, all football clubs historically owe the state €35,000,000. This means that football contributes just 1.75% to the total annual tax arrears compared to the rest. The remaining 98.25% concerns “unknowns” whom no Minister has ever publicly named on radio or television, with names and figures. Yet today, the Minister has spent 98.25% of his time “informing” the public about APOEL’s debts, without even mentioning that efforts to settle the matter have already begun — something he is well aware of.
As APOEL, we assure our supporters that we are working to resolve all issues and find appropriate solutions.
Board of Directors
APOEL Football (Public) Ltd“
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