Cyprus-Forum.com

[Paphitis]

[img]Omonoia Footballer Reports Racist Abuse by APOEL Fans in Cyprus

By racist behavior from a portion of APOEL Nicosia fans was stigmatized the recent football derby between their team and fierce rivals Omonoia last Sunday in Cyprus. The biggest football match in Cyprus ended with an 1-0 narrow win for home team APOEL, although the complaints of 30-year-old Beninese international footballer Michael Pote regarding the racist provocations he was subjected to by the opposite team’s fans, left the developments in the pitch in the shadow.

As Pote said, the APOEL fans pretended to be monkeys when he was approaching the stands, while when he returned the gesture to the fans, the referee booked him, when after several minutes of racist insults targeting him, he mimicked them and then kissed his arm, in a symbolic move to prove the he has no problem with his skin color.

“This is not football. My kids saw the incident on TV and asked me what happened. I told them that these are racist people. But its OK. I will focus on playing football,” he told reporters after the match’s final whistle was blown. His team, Omonoia, has filed an official complaint to the Cyprus Football Association (FCA).

Furthermore, according to the team’s spokesperson, Andreas Demetriou, the match’s referee, Demetris Masias, did not register the incidents in his report, as he was obligated to do, while as the club’s official revealed, Omonoia’s board is now waiting to see if the referee’s judicator reported the provocations in his separate report.

This is not the first time that racist behavior was witnessed in Cypriot football, while violent incidents between opposing fans and the police are also usual. The various measures adopted by the state to tackle such incidents are thought to have failed.

A recent poll placed Omonoia as the island’s most popular team with 28.6% and their fans are known for their left-leaning, socialist character. On the opposite, APOEL fans are right-wing in their majority but there are no strong ties between its ultras and any political party.

- See more at: http://greece.greekreporter.com/2014/12 ... dKwmP.dpuf[/img]

What's going on here?

Absolutely disgusting behaviour!

Poor bloke is trying to play Football and has to deal with this ...

[CBBB]

[img]Omonoia Footballer Reports Racist Abuse by APOEL Fans in Cyprus

By racist behavior from a portion of APOEL Nicosia fans was stigmatized the recent football derby between their team and fierce rivals Omonoia last Sunday in Cyprus. The biggest football match in Cyprus ended with an 1-0 narrow win for home team APOEL, although the complaints of 30-year-old Beninese international footballer Michael Pote regarding the racist provocations he was subjected to by the opposite team’s fans, left the developments in the pitch in the shadow.

As Pote said, the APOEL fans pretended to be monkeys when he was approaching the stands, while when he returned the gesture to the fans, the referee booked him, when after several minutes of racist insults targeting him, he mimicked them and then kissed his arm, in a symbolic move to prove the he has no problem with his skin color.

“This is not football. My kids saw the incident on TV and asked me what happened. I told them that these are racist people. But its OK. I will focus on playing football,” he told reporters after the match’s final whistle was blown. His team, Omonoia, has filed an official complaint to the Cyprus Football Association (FCA).

Furthermore, according to the team’s spokesperson, Andreas Demetriou, the match’s referee, Demetris Masias, did not register the incidents in his report, as he was obligated to do, while as the club’s official revealed, Omonoia’s board is now waiting to see if the referee’s judicator reported the provocations in his separate report.

This is not the first time that racist behavior was witnessed in Cypriot football, while violent incidents between opposing fans and the police are also usual. The various measures adopted by the state to tackle such incidents are thought to have failed.

A recent poll placed Omonoia as the island’s most popular team with 28.6% and their fans are known for their left-leaning, socialist character. On the opposite, APOEL fans are right-wing in their majority but there are no strong ties between its ultras and any political party.

- See more at: http://greece.greekreporter.com/2014/12 ... dKwmP.dpuf[/img]

What's going on here?

Absolutely disgusting behaviour!

Poor bloke is trying to play Football and has to deal with this ...

How is Aussie immigration policy doing at the moment?

[Paphitis]

It's working pretty well CBBB. Thanks for asking.

The immigration policy allows for something like 250,000 legal immigrants per annum, one of the highest in the world.

The illegal immigration issue is non existent. Just a few people that overstay their VISA!

If you're interested in coming over, there are 190,000 positions remaining.

Please visit this site for more info: http://www.immi.gov.au/media/statistics ... /index.htm

Bear in mind there is an IQ Test so that would rule out most of this forum.

You also need qualifications to increase your chances.

We would quite happily accept Michael Pote. Maybe he is good enough for the second division!

[Get Real!]

Pote, is a great player and shouldn’t take the stupidities of immature fools personally although I can understand it’s hard to always ignore things.

Pote is exactly what APOEL needed up front because unfortunately there's nobody there to score goals in CL matches.

[Paphitis]

Pote, is a great player and shouldn’t take the stupidities of immature fools personally although I can understand it’s hard to always ignore things.

Pote is exactly what APOEL needed up front because unfortunately there's nobody there to score goals in CL matches.

Yes but the Apoel Fans didn't like him. They kept making monkey gestures whenever he got close to the ball.

Pretty appalling.

And the stupid referee gave him a yellow for protesting against this stupid behaviour.

[tsukoui]

while when he returned the gesture to the fans, the referee booked him

It is clear Pote graciously took it as banter initially, giving as good as he got. For the referee to penalise him is a disgrace to all Cypriots. Personally, I have no love for the APOEL fans. But Africans know Cypriots have their own issues with race. If it hadn't been for the referee's actions, this would have passed off as a rowdy football match, albeit one which points to much needed education in Cyprus on African history and culture. As it stands, because of the referee's actions, a complaint has been filed, bringing the whole country into disrepute. The referee was clearly biased against Omonoia, I suspect for political reasons, and that is how the case should be handled to avoid falling into the "we are White and they are Black" trap. The referee should be punished.

[Paphitis]

while when he returned the gesture to the fans, the referee booked him

It is clear Pote graciously took it as banter initially, giving as good as he got. For the referee to penalise him is a disgrace to all Cypriots. Personally, I have no love for the APOEL fans. But Africans know Cypriots have their own issues with race. If it hadn't been for the referee's actions, this would have passed off as a rowdy football match, albeit one which points to much needed education in Cyprus on African history and culture. As it stands, because of the referee's actions, a complaint has been filed, bringing the whole country into disrepute. The referee was clearly biased against Omonoia, I suspect for political reasons, and that is how the case should be handled to avoid falling into the "we are White and they are Black" trap. The referee should be punished.

Are you serious?

How do you know the referee was biased? There is no evidence of bias.

There is just the appalling behaviour of some Apoel fans.

Mind you, Omonoia Fans are equally guilty of very appalling behaviour. They had unfurled occupation regime flags once in order to piss of some Apoel Fans. If you ask me, that one takes the tourta as far as disgusting goes.

[CBBB]

while when he returned the gesture to the fans, the referee booked him

It is clear Pote graciously took it as banter initially, giving as good as he got. For the referee to penalise him is a disgrace to all Cypriots. Personally, I have no love for the APOEL fans. But Africans know Cypriots have their own issues with race. If it hadn't been for the referee's actions, this would have passed off as a rowdy football match, albeit one which points to much needed education in Cyprus on African history and culture. As it stands, because of the referee's actions, a complaint has been filed, bringing the whole country into disrepute. The referee was clearly biased against Omonoia, I suspect for political reasons, and that is how the case should be handled to avoid falling into the "we are White and they are Black" trap. The referee should be punished.

I DIDN'T SAY THAT!!!!!!!!

You should be more careful when editing "quotes"!

[Cap]

while when he returned the gesture to the fans, the referee booked him

It is clear Pote graciously took it as banter initially, giving as good as he got. For the referee to penalise him is a disgrace to all Cypriots. Personally, I have no love for the APOEL fans. But Africans know Cypriots have their own issues with race. If it hadn't been for the referee's actions, this would have passed off as a rowdy football match, albeit one which points to much needed education in Cyprus on African history and culture. As it stands, because of the referee's actions, a complaint has been filed, bringing the whole country into disrepute. The referee was clearly biased against Omonoia, I suspect for political reasons, and that is how the case should be handled to avoid falling into the "we are White and they are Black" trap. The referee should be punished.

I DIDN'T SAY THAT!!!!!!!!

You should be more careful when editing "quotes"!

[tsukoui]

while when he returned the gesture to the fans, the referee booked him

It is clear Pote graciously took it as banter initially, giving as good as he got. For the referee to penalise him is a disgrace to all Cypriots. Personally, I have no love for the APOEL fans. But Africans know Cypriots have their own issues with race. If it hadn't been for the referee's actions, this would have passed off as a rowdy football match, albeit one which points to much needed education in Cyprus on African history and culture. As it stands, because of the referee's actions, a complaint has been filed, bringing the whole country into disrepute. The referee was clearly biased against Omonoia, I suspect for political reasons, and that is how the case should be handled to avoid falling into the "we are White and they are Black" trap. The referee should be punished.

Are you serious?

How do you know the referee was biased? There is no evidence of bias.

There is just the appalling behaviour of some Apoel fans.

Mind you, Omonoia Fans are equally guilty of very appalling behaviour. They had unfurled occupation regime flags once in order to piss of some Apoel Fans. If you ask me, that one takes the tourta as far as disgusting goes.

I am lightly dismissing the behaviour of the APOEL monkeys. The referee's conduct, in siding with them, is the more serious issue. Pote, I'm sure would like to see things taken further.