July 24 – The Cypriot FA (CFA) has ignored the request of the country’s Minister of Justice and Public Order, Marios Hartsiotis, and is lifting a ban on away fans for the start of the 2024/25 season.
In January, following a series of incidents at first division matches, a ban was implemented on away fans that was carried through until the end of the season.
Hartsiotis wanted the ban to be continued in the new season 2024/2025, but the CFA’s board of directors “unanimously decided not to proceed with a change in the Proclamation of the Championship for the 2024/2025 season and therefore, the movement of fans of the away team to the away matches will be allowed as stated in the Proclamation.”
The CFA countered Hartsiotis’s request saying it is ready “to support every effort to deal with and limit the phenomenon of violence in the stadiums.”
Part of that is an amendment to the Disciplinary Regulations allowing for stricter and more detailed penalties to be imposed following violent incidents or “events that cause the phenomena of violence, as well as the transportation of dangerous objects to the stadiums”.
“CFA, in collaboration with UEFA, is already planning a new series of training seminars with the descent of experts from the European Federation in Cyprus. Violence in stadiums is a social phenomenon that concerns many advanced countries around the world. Effective handling, strategy and collective effort are needed. The Board of Directors of CFA declares its presence in this campaign and calls on the member unions of the Federation to move in this direction”, said a CFA statement.
Contact the writer of this story, Aleksander Krassimirov, at moc.l1734878309labto1734878309ofdlr1734878309owedi1734878309sni@o1734878309fni1734878309