Fanless Cyprus Cup match after stadium incidents

The Cyprus Cup football game between Apollon and AEL will take place without the presence of fans, sports judge Aristotelis Vryonides deliberated on Friday.

The derby, initially scheduled for January 24 at Alphamega Stadium in Limassol, never took place due to incidents involving both sets of fans, who threw flares and ripped seats onto the pitch, prompting the referee to call off the game.

According to the Cyprus Football Association (CFA), the judge ruled that the objections raised by the two teams, which advocated for their innocence regarding the incidents, be accepted and that the match be rescheduled by the at a later date without the presence of fans.

Both teams had also lodged a protest against what they deemed “an erroneous decision by the referee not to start the game, taken in violation of the relevant provisions of the football championship regulations.”

The incidents at the stadium prompted the judge to impose additional penalties on the clubs.

Specifically, he ruled that both clubs’ organised supporters’ stands be closed for a game. Apollon and Ael were also fined €10,000 and €15,000 respectively.