Cyprus-Forum.com

[Lenny]

As you probably noticed, the German federal-league football club "1. FC Cologne" has just signed a contract to promote tourism to Cyprus. The contract was signed with the "cypriot group of investors of Satena", as club-officials say.

In fact up to now it is largely impossible to gather any information about this "Satena", obviously based 9, Androcleous-Street in Nicosia.

I'm a Cologne-based German television-journalist and seeking any information about Satena and its activities in Cyprus or who is behind this "grpuo of investors". Are there any projects finished or just under way? I would appreciate any kind of information.

Thanks in advance.

[city]

Hi Lenny, I've send you a private message (PM). You'll find the link to your inbox in the top right corner of the page.

[city]

and there was something in the Cyprus Mail. Maybe they can be of any further assistance with your enquiry.

By Leo Leonidou
GERMAN football club FC Cologne has come up with a new kind of shirt sponsorship deal. According to German website Spiegel Online, the club, which has recently been promoted into the Bundesliga, will promote not a company or a product, but an entire country - Cyprus. The website states that Satena, a Cypriot group of investors involved in various building projects, wish to establish "higher-quality tourism" on the island.

Cyprus Mail, 2005.05.17 12:00

[sk]

i havent heard of this satena before...

[panos]

Hallo Lenny,

ich bin ein Zypriotischer-Deutscher aus Köln, das Telefon ist heute heiss gelaufen. Ich habe bereits mit Nicosia gesprochen, wir können vielleicht mal Telefonieren. Wie kann ich Sie erreichen?

LG

[city]

Hi Panos,

does this mean you know more about this?
I just read today that it might all have been a big rip off cause noone can find Satena in Cyprus and the lawyer, residing at the given address in Nicosia said he wouldn't know them.
Other sources say this group is not completely founded yet and therefore still unknown.
Would like to get more info as well.

Danke schön

[cannedmoose]

Article in today's Cyprus Mail about this...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Questions mount over German soccer sponsorship deal
By John Leonidou

QUESTIONS are increasingly being raised regarding a sponsorship deal for German football club FC Cologne and a “phantom” Cypriot company.

Last week, reports said a sponsorship deal had been struck up between FC Cologne and a company named Satena, which would see the team have the word ‘Cyprus’ emblazoned on their jerseys.

However, when news of the deal was revealed, alarms bells began ringing, especially when Satena contacted the Ministry of Tourism, apparently requesting £4.3million in funds from the Cyprus Tourism Organsiation (CTO), in order to secure advertising for Cyprus in Germany.

But a spokesman at FC Cologne yesterday told the Cyprus Mail that “the club had no signs that there would be any problems with the contract which they have signed”.

Commerce and Tourism Minister George Lillikas was not so sure. He told state radio that he has already alerted the Attorney-general and the police on the matter.

“When I was informed last month about the request from Satena, I was also told that there were alleged approvals by the CTO on the issue and that isn’t true. I informed the Attorney-general and asked him to look into the matter and see if their had been any malpractice involved.

“I also informed the police to look into the company and find out what is going on with them. Later that evening I found out that the company wasn’t listed.”

CTO Chairman Fotis Fotiou said yesterday the CTO had not once been involved with the issue of FC Cologne, and on the contrary informed CTO personnel to stay away from the club.

“We did not give any money, neither did we make any agreement and from the first second when we observed all that was going on I gave directions personally to our representative in Germany, when various people were inviting him to attend press conferences on the deal, not to go to any of them. We had publicly stated that we were not interested, especially with all the suspicion surrounding the deal.”

Fotiou also pointed out that the CTO would never pay that sort of money, especially for a newly promoted Bundesliga side.

“We only have £2million to spend on promoting Cyprus in Germany. Do you really think that we would pay £4million just so we can advertise on the jersey of a German football team, especially a team that was playing second division football last year?”

A CTO source told the Cyprus Mail they were very puzzled over the whole event. However, before Satena appeared on the scene, FC Cologne had apparently approached the CTO and offered a commercial proposal. Despite interesting the CTO, this was eventually turned down because the costs were too high.

According to German website www.wdr.de, FC Cologne officials are confused as to why there is such a big fuss over the deal. It also quoted the General Manager of the club, Claus Horstmann, as saying that Satena was a company in the initial stages of being established and had yet to be officially formed and registered.



Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2005

[panos]

Hi@all,

the story is over after a very short & fast clearance of facts and open questions!

After searching in Nicosia and in the north part of the isalnd I came up with some more questions. The ex company SATENA INVESTMENTS had some activities in Real-Estates building and construction business in "N. Cyprus". This company had a connection with the AGA Construction which is operating the Amaranta-Estates, www.amaranta-estates.com , here a tip for our British friends: you can spend your money better in Las Vegas!

After puting all the informations and facts from Germany together, who is who ( the generall manager, director & co of FC-Köln ) then is obvious that the amount of the 4,35 milions € is coming from a not clean way to the new SATENA HOLDING with the goal to be cleared on the way to the FC-Köln. For not insider, Cyprus was the best money washing mashine near EU. More than 7,000 Offshore companies still have their offices in Cyprus. In anycase these informations are not going to be published, the reasons are clear, image lost of the FC-Köln and also for the island wich is trying at the moment to stop all the estates activities in the north part.

I am not happy with this situation, most of the buyers are UK citizens actually our FRIENDS! There are of course some Cypriots and Germans which they have lost the ability to be a healthy patriot.

Regards

[demetriou_74]

apparently the deal has fallen through...... ask city