Cyprus-Forum.com

by **Cap** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 8:09 pm

My theory is, we as Greek Cypriots, including mainland Greeks are not genetically predisposed in excelling in football. The irony being that 99% of the population passionately follow a sport they suck at.
Partly to blame is the footballing system adopted by GC's from their Greek counterparts, a system including all its various facets . eg mentality, corruption, the 'MESON' phenomenon etc.
If Supporting a local club team playing in the local league and watching them succeed is your cup of tea, then so be it. Feeling part of a club and all the emotions and sense of comradery that accompany it, good for you.
But the true measure, the true test is playing International teams that are NOT part of that system, where we fail miserably.

Ask yourselves this, when was the last time a Greek or Cyp team won the Champions League, UEFA cup, World Cup? The answer is NEVER, and have never come close apart from Panathinaikos back in 1979 where they lost to Ajax in the Champions league.
The UERO in 2004 was in my opinion a fluke. Greece being the weakest team by a large margin, through great player chemistry( granted), ugly defensive football, destructive game strategies and sheer luck managed to pull off a miracle.
Here's a prediction : Euro 2004 will never be repeated again, nor any European cup, in any shape or form, nor any World cup or competition in the next 100 years. ( I pray I'm wrong)

by **Sotos** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 8:33 pm

On a club level what matters most is money. Compare the budgets of the teams that win the Champions League or UEFA with the budgets of the Greek and Cypriot teams and you will see huge difference. On the national level what matters most is population and tradition in a sport. Cyprus is less than a million people. Do you know any country of such size that won the World Cup?? And Greece won the Euro. Say all you want but much bigger countries with more football tradition didn't manage to do what Greece did! And the best sport for Greece is basketball anyways.

by **iceman** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 8:45 pm

Cap wrote:
Ask yourselves this, when was the last time a Greek or Cyp team won the Champions League, UEFA cup, World Cup? The answer is NEVER, and have never come close apart from Panathinaikos back in 1979 where they lost to Ajax in the Champions league.

As a TC its not up to me to answer your claim but i think you are very wrong with your above statement..

I think Cypriot teams have been very successful in international games in recent years..
One does not have to win the cup in a tournament to be classified as successful..international football is a big economy with billions of euros involved..
Just look at the cost of the Cypriot teams,number of their supporters who pay to watch them on a regular basis then you will see why i believe they have been successful recently.

by **Cap** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 8:49 pm

Sotos wrote:On a club level what matters most is money. Compare the budgets of the teams that win the Champions League or UEFA with the budgets of the Greek and Cypriot teams and you will see huge difference. On the national level what matters most is population and tradition in a sport. Cyprus is less than a million people. Do you know any country of such size that won the World Cup?? And Greece won the Euro. Say all you want but much bigger countries with more football tradition didn't manage to do what Greece did! And the best sport for Greece is basketball anyways.

Basketball... I'm glad you mentioned that, because, Greece who's national sport is Football, managed in basketball to win countless European championships,( Panathinaikos) Euroleague Champs 5 times, etc etc, became Euro champions TWICE beating the former Soviet Union TWICE , were runners up in 89- Again beating Soviet Union, beat the United States DREAM team in 2006. etc etc
That's pretty impressive for a country of that 'size' and those 'budgets' and that kind of 'tradition' as you put it.
Yes Basketball is in our blood! Thank God!

by Z4 » Tue Nov 17, 2009 10:11 pm

Cyprus football fans are bloody mentalists!

by **Svetlana** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 6:01 am

‘We are one step before disaster’
By George Psyllides

A 20-YEAR-OLD was in a critical condition yesterday after he was brutally beaten during fights between rival football fans in Nicosia. The young man is on a ventilator and said to be fighting for his life.

A few hours later, a football game in Larnaca was cut short after further fan violence.

The 20-year-old APOEL fan suffered heavy head injuries during clashes with city rivals Omonia at a futsal facility just outside Nicosia.

The two teams were not even playing each other on Sunday.

The chairman of the Cyprus Sports Organisation (KOA) Nicos Kartakoulis said it was not an issue of football and sports any longer.

“The problem has left the sports arenas,” he told state radio. “There are political implications, social implications, economic implications.”

“It is out of control, we are one step before disaster,” Kartakoulis said.

He said both clubs have made mistakes and should plan a series of actions to give the message that this needs to stop.

Details as to who started the incident are unclear, as the two sides have accused each other of instigating the violence.

In a statement on their official website, APOEL fans, who had been travelling to Larnaca for an away game, claimed they had been ambushed on the motorway by stone-throwing Omonia fans who were attending a youth tournament at the futsal ground nearby.

“To protect their property [cars] and themselves, after the stone-throwing, APOEL fans got out of their vehicles and some chased the Omonia fans down to the futsal grounds,” a statement said.

There, they were expected by around 100 Omonia fans wielding hockey sticks, iron bars, stones and sticks, the APOEL fanclub said.

A photograph in daily Politis shows what appear to be three Omonia fans using hockey sticks to beat a man who is on the ground wearing an orange T-shirt – the colours of APOEL fans.

Omonia’s fanclub maintains APOEL fans came out of their cars wearing helmets and hoods attacked them and even injured children taking part in the tournament organised by the club.

The club said there is a video “that clearly shows that the attack came from APOEL fans, who hurled flares and stones on the grounds and shows how people were injured and the subsequent trouble.”

A witness confirmed a futsal tournament was taking place at the time the trouble started.

He said the APOEL “Orange” fans were on the motorway taunting and throwing stones before they came down and the clashes started.

As for the hockey sticks, the witness said apparently the Omonia fans were carrying them with them.

It is understood that police had been on the scene before the trouble as a precaution but left after it was judged that all travelling APOEL fans gone through.

Police said they arrested three people and arrest warrants were issued for three more.

The injured 20-year-old is also a suspect.

All the suspects are males aged between 17 and 24, police said.

The trouble came a couple of hours before a game between Nea Salamina and APOEL in Larnaca was interrupted due to fan violence.

The game had been interrupted twice before the 75th minute when the referee decided to abandon the game because fans hurled objects at each other and the assistant referee.

More stones were thrown after the game, slightly injuring seven police officers.

Police yesterday suggested to the Cyprus Football Federation to ban fans travelling to away games that are deemed high-risk.

Authorities also appealed for a de-escalation of the tension between the supporters of Omonia and APOEL and contribute to breaking the case and bring those responsible before justice.

The CFA said it will discuss the matter in today’s meeting of the executive committee and the board. The matter will also be discussed today by the House Education Committee.

Meanwhile a major media network said yesterday it would remove inflammatory content from its sports programmes.

The Antenna channel said it would change the format of its radio sports show Kerkida by refusing to take calls from ordinary fans. From now on, the show would take calls only from sports officials and club representatives.

In addition, its Replay television show would for one month stop broadcasting a ticker on the bottom of the screen that features SMS messages sent by football fans.

Antenna said it would also no longer host any press releases or announcements issued by clubs which “are deemed by the channel to contain incendiary content”.

Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2009

by **Cap** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 6:23 pm

Its make or break for the Greeks tonight. Ukraine vs Greece
I predict a Ukranian victory.
Lets see what excuses people are gonna come up with this time.