Third division team slams use of fake social media profiles

Third-division football club Geroskipou FC, based in the village of Yeroskipou, near Paphos, has reported on Thursday the existence of fake profiles on social media platforms, namely Facebook and Instagram, claiming to represent the club.

In a statement, the club accused the profiles of spreading false, defamatory, and insulting statements.

“Geroskipou FC condemns and exposes any announcements, posts, reports, publications, texts, comments, and images published on the internet and social media through the accounts ‘Geroskipou Football Club Cyprus’ and ‘Geroskipou FC’,” the statement said.

The club added that the unauthorised pages aim to damage the reputation of the team by disseminating false, defamatory, and derogatory statements, comments, and descriptions targeting the team and its members.

“The posts on the fake profiles attempt to tarnish the image and reputation of the team and its members through insults and accusations,” the statement continued.

“The club asserts that these statements are false, defamatory, and unacceptable, lacking any truthful, reliable, and accurate information. Such declarations are deemed unacceptable in light of the values upheld by the team and its members and are intended to harm and offend the reputation and prestige of the team and its members.”

According to the statement, the posts specifically target the club’s president, Charalambos Achilleos, vice president Georgios Neophytou, and football players Konstantinos Zacharoudiou, Achilleas Michail, Anastasis Makris, Carlos Jorge Oliveira Machado, Lucas Pinto Camelo, Ioannis Savva, Georgi Karakalov, and Joan Pedro Da Cunha Ferreira.

“Geroskipou FC reassures its fans and the broader public that it has taken all necessary measures for the restoration and overall defence of the good name of both its members and the players personally, who have faced shameful and unacceptable content in the published texts and posts. The club is committed to addressing this situation and safeguarding the integrity of the entire football team,” the statement concluded.