Limassol football club AEL is moving closer to developing a new sports centre in Kolossi, including two auxiliary football fields and a three-level training centre, after the project secured approval from the environmental authority.

The project, which will be developed on state land near the Alphamega Stadium, is expected to strengthen the club’s training infrastructure, while also providing facilities for rehabilitation, recreation and accommodation for its athletes. 

According to the department of environment, the development will include two auxiliary football fields, with a total of 306 seats, made up of 180 large stands and 126 small stands. 

Earlier reports on the project said the training complex is expected to be developed in two phases over a period of three years, with the first phase covering the construction of the two football pitches and the second phase involving the main training centre building, parking areas and internal access routes. 

The two pitches are expected to have natural grass, measuring 105 by 68 metres and 86 by 60 metres respectively, while the wider design follows modern European standards and UEFA specifications for sports facilities and lighting. 

However, construction cannot begin until the necessary planning and building permits are issued, while AEL is also expected to seek funding from the Cyprus Sports Organisation (KOA). 

The project will also include 66 parking spaces, six of which will be reserved for people with disabilities. 

At the centre of the development will be the new three-level training centre, which will include a ground floor, first level and second level. 

On the ground floor, the building will house, among other facilities, a gym, restrooms, showers, changing rooms, storage rooms, a cloakroom, laundry facilities and a machine room. 

It will also include areas for massage, sauna and cryotherapy, as well as a swimming pool, two offices, a kitchen, a restaurant and a reception area. 

The first level will include nine offices, a staff room, restrooms, a conference room, a podcast area, a presentation screening room, a living room, a recreation area and a restaurant. 

Meanwhile, the second level will provide accommodation facilities, with 17 double rooms and two quadruple rooms, turning the complex into a full preparation and accommodation base for players and staff. 

The main uses of the project will be linked to athletic training and rehabilitation, as well as recreation and accommodation for AEL athletes. 

The sports centre will be located within the administrative boundaries of the Kourion municipality, in the Kolossi municipal district, specifically in the Ayios Loucas area. 

The wider state-owned site covers 637,367 square metres, while the proposed AEL development will occupy 17,262 square metres in the southwestern part of the plot. 

The project will be developed on the same plot as the Alphamega Stadium and Apollon’s auxiliary sports facilities. 

The stadium, which opened in December 2022, serves as the home ground of AEL, Apollon and Aris, placing the new training centre within Limassol’s wider football infrastructure hub. 

More specifically, the AEL Sports Centre will be located on the southern side of the plot, close to the northern side of the Paphos–Limassol motorway. 

Access to the site will be through Spyros Kyprianou Avenue, either from the Paphos-to-Limassol motorway exit or from the Limassol-to-Paphos exit. 

The approval also comes as AEL continues to deepen its links with private-sector backers, including IC Markets EU, whose founder Andrew Budzinski has acquired shares in the club, further strengthening the company’s ties to Cypriot sport.