The government’s instructions about the repayment of debts owed by football clubs are simply for the law to be upheld, deputy spokesman Yiannis Antoniou said on Thursday.

Antoniou denied claims that President Nikos Christodoulides had given in to pressure from the football associations and was giving them “a second chance” after the clubs themselves had stated they intended to ask the president to intervene on their behalf.

Governments had for 25 years shown “scandalous favouritism and tolerance” towards football clubs over debts that now total €36 million, a scathing retrospective report in Politis had charged, calling for the “mockery” to end.

The finance ministry had requested that four of the indebted clubs pay up at least 50 per cent of their tax installments to the state last week, in order to forestall legal prosecution.

The amounts would come to €666,800 for Apoel, €683,200 for Ael, €1m for Apollon, and €188,000 for Anorthosis, according to the daily.

The clubs, however, are seeking to pay just a third of their debt immediately and pay off the remaining amount in two or three later installments over a longer timeframe.

Christodoulides allegedly admitted to receiving phone calls from football club heads as they sought out his intervention in the matter.

Elsewhere, he is quoted as stating that he does not want the clubs to close but to “finally comply with the law”.

Antoniou, however, told the CyBC that “political interventions have no place” in this situation.

Speaking on CyBC’s morning radio, the government spokesman said the state is acting out of principle to upkeep equality before the law, and also rubbished allegations that the clubs were being “singled out”.

The state was making all efforts to ensure that it reclaimed revenues due to it, as well as working to ease repayment for the clubs, in the same manner as it would for any other business, Antoniou said.

Five football clubs on Wednesday offered to immediately pay a third of the tax debt they owe to the government. According to reports three of the clubs were not in a position to pay half of their overdue taxes, thus efforts were being made to collect the money in upcoming days.

The clubs’ clearing at least 50 per cent of their tax debt had been tied to receiving their annual state sponsorship from betting revenues.

Additionally, the clubs’ dodging of a criminal prosecution and their eligibility for Uefa (Union of European Football Associations) certification – in order to compete in the European championships in May – hinges on the state’s response to their proposal.

The proposal was made by Ael, Apoel, Apollon, Anorthosis and Ethnikos Achna during a meeting between the clubs’ chairmen, Cyprus Football Association (CFA) chairman Giorgos Koumas, and tax commissioner Sotiris Markides.

After the meeting, Apoel chairman Prodromos Petrides said the parties had a “fairly constructive and good discussion”, and that following the payment, more money would be returned to the state’s coffers during the second quarter of the year.

Technocrats are reportedly number crunching the suggestion and are expected to inform Finance Minister Makis Keravnos later on Thursday. The approval of the cabinet is required for revision of the existing plan.
Should the ministers accept the clubs’ proposal, oversight of the agreement will be in the hands of the CFA, which will supervise the clubs’ compliance.

In relation to other debts – in excess of €10m – owed by clubs for money they failed to pay to state services, some are in discussion with the competent departments to settle them.

On March 4, Apoel is expected to re-appear in court for debts of €2.3m, after the postponement of the hearing last week. The club stands accused of deducting social security amounts from employees’ pay checks without transferring the money to the state.