by Paphitis » Fri Jun 06, 2014 4:31 pm
And just a reminder of how bad Cypriot Football is you only have to look at the CFA. This season you had a deplorable amount of Hooliganism. Where was the CFA in clamping down with this? Did they do anything to punish those responsible or the clubs? Did they do enough?
How does the CFA compare to the authorities in other countries? I include those in Australia, US and Japan? If the violence occurs there, just once, the authorities will clamp down like you wouldn't believe. Why are the fans better behaved?
And why are so many clubs verging on the edge of bankruptcy? Is their business model right? Why have clubs in America, Australia and Japan managed to run multi million dollar rosters and sign prominent players and still be profitable? Why are the clubs politically aligned? Is this good sportsmanship to mix the Komata on the sporting field?
Sorry Get Real, but the league in Cyprus just can't be compared. OK, they have the population but they also have a well structured set up which is also sustainable and well organized. Oh and btw, soccer is the most popular sport amongst young kids in both the US and Australia. It is more popular than Aussie Rules, Grid Iron, and Baseball because the sport is safe and easy to get into for youngsters so they also have a market.
Get Apoel to tour the US or Australia and play clubs like New York Cosmos or Sydney FC or Melbourne Hearts and see what will happen. The standard is there, and the rosters are professional.
Oh and when the players put on the shirt of their clubs, they play and hold no prisoners. If a player puts on the shirt and represents Australia or the US, they play for the shirt and they know that they are representing the country just like a cricket or a Rugby Union player representing the country. They know that thousands of youngsters are watching in the stands and in their living rooms and I am sorry but I do not see this level of commitment from the players that represent Cyprus for some reason. And it is ok if they lose, because even if that is the case, it is rare to actually criticize the players for not giving their all because of the shirt they wear!
If Cyprus defeats a country like Australia or US, they would earn it because I guarantee you that these teams have players who believe they are doing battle for their country. FACT!
Usually, all the players representing these countries are full time pros. The younger ones would play in the US or Australia, those more established play for top teams in the EPL, Bundeslige, or Seria A. Many of them are on million dollar contracts. That is because they are committed to playing for big clubs and committed to representing their countries which have fine sporting heritage. How many players in Cyprus have this commitment? What do the clubs do for them? Do they even get paid or do they spend money on their development. I am sure that a couple of the big clubs like Apoel and Omonoia do, but other than those 2 clubs who else does?