The new Cypriot football season gets underway on Saturday with the top two sides from last season in away action.
Domingos Paciencia’s APOEL will be looking to get the perfect boost ahead of their Champions League playoff second leg against FC Astana on Wednesday by beating Ermis Aradippou in the late kickoff tomorrow night while runners-up AEK Larnaca take on newcomers Pafos FC.
APOEL, who have been struggling for goals of late, take on a totally new Ermis side who have undergone a massive overhaul in their squad over the summer. Influential chairman Loucas Fanieros has brought in around 18 players while another 18 have made way at the Aradippou club.
Thomas Christiansen’s AEK – who suffered early elimination at the hands of Bordeaux in the Europa League earlier this month – take on newly formed Pafos FC at the Pafiakos Stadium. In the other game on Saturday Costas Kaiafas’ Omonia take on Nea Salamina at the GSP Stadium. Like AEK, Omonia also suffered a third qualifying round exit in the Europa League at the hands of Brondby.
Last year, Omonia finished fourth in the league and they will be eager for a higher finish this time around especially after signing up former APOEL front-man Cillian Sheridan.
Third place Apollon, who were also dumped out of the Europa League in controversial circumstances at the hands of Azerbaijan’s Gabala, play hosts to Aris in the Limassol derby while fellow Limassol club AEL take on Anorthosis Famagusta in the big game.
The other games this weekend include Doxa Katokopia’s trip to the Dasaki Stadium to face hosts Ethnikos Achna while neighbours Ayia Napa and Enosis Neon Paralimni will meet in the Famagusta District derby in the only game on Monday.
Last season, the top division only featured 12 teams in a bid to make the games more competitive but a rapid drop in ticket sales forced the clubs to hold an emergency meeting and Cyprus Football Association (CFA) Chairman Costakis Koutsokoumnis eventually bowed to pressure to expand the league back to 14 teams this season.
After all sides play their home and away games during the normal season, the league will then split into two end-of-season playoffs during which the top six teams will compete for the title and the European places while the bottom six will play in the relegation group with the bottom side getting demoted.
After the end of the normal season, the two bottom teams in the table will be relegated automatically.
Cyprus Weekly