Omonia FC President Stavros Papastavrou called for the resignation of Cyprus Football Association (CFA) President Giorgos Koumas in a lengthy social media post on Monday, listing eleven observations concerning the CFA’s leadership.
Mr Papastavrou stated, “Giorgos Koumas must resign immediately to allow clubs to seek a new operational model so that the CFA can become a trustworthy organisation, operating with transparency, proper procedures, and checks for the benefit of all teams, equally, without discrimination, hidden agendas, or quid-pro-quo arrangements.” He added that the CFA leadership “must begin to be held accountable with transparency to the clubs and a higher authority for its operations.”
Referring to the CFA as an “Augean stable” that needs to be “cleansed” — a statement previously made by the former President of the Republic regarding Cypriot football — MrPapastavrou described the CFA as “a body operating in an unprecedentedly corrupt environment, tailored to serve personal interests and agendas.”
He warned that “corruption permeates all levels of the Federation. The level of ‘contamination’ has reached a point that makes me worry UEFA will eventually be forced to exclude Cypriot football from its competitions, leaving us searching for answers as to what went wrong. The reputation of Cypriot football is already questioned in Europe by media, fans, professionals, and the football community.”
He further alleged that “the CFA President exerts control over clubs, pressuring them to make decisions he desires, which are then portrayed as ‘decisions of the CFA Board’ rather than his own.”
He also claimed that “CFA’s bank accounts are used as personal accounts, effectively turning the CFA into a personal enterprise. CFA funds, which belong to the clubs, are managed without oversight or accountability, with all the implications this entails.”
Mr. Papastavrou noted that “the CFA leadership only releases general financial statements, without any detailed explanation of all expenses and revenue. Even the CFA Finance Committee, made up of club officials, does not receive detailed financial reports and is essentially forced to sign off on general statements annually without knowing the specifics.”
Additionally, he stated that “even UEFA criteria are used to control clubs that feel they need ‘assistance’ to avoid the heavy penalties imposed by Cypriot and European Federation regulations.”
Mr Papastavrou called on the CFA President to “appoint one of the four major auditing firms to audit the Federation’s finances, with results made public.”
He insisted that “this isn’t merely about accounting. Clubs must know where money is spent, why, and who receives funds, and whether each transaction was necessary and appropriate for an organisation like the CFA, which ultimately belongs to the clubs in terms of its operations and finances.”
Regarding refereeing, he described it as an area “we believe is ‘corrupt’. History shows that referees who follow instructions are either promoted to UEFA as internationals or rise swiftly through the ranks to officiate in the top league, where they do favours. Every week, we see decisions that make no sense in games, though I’m sure they make sense to someone.”
He added that “it is time for the government, relevant state authorities, and parliament to find new ways to implement essential checks in Cypriot football.”
“When CFA leadership evidently refuses to operate within the necessary framework of transparency, justice, and equality, the government must take initiatives to tackle the corruption consuming our football day by day. New state institutions must finally function effectively, instead of weighing votes gained or lost by every necessary decision and action in the face of such extensive corruption.”
Source: CNA/ZS/MK
