Corruption in Cypriot Football discussed at European University Cyprus
All relevant sports stakeholders participated in a roundtable discussion organized by the European University Cyprus on: “Corruption in Cypriot Football. Intentions and Obstacles to its Combating and Suppression”. The Advisor of the President of the Republic on Sports issues, Mr. Phivos Zachariades, addressed the event. He gave a detailed outline of the context in which the problem arose and presented the State’s efforts to resolve it. “In our country, the absence of a National Sports Legislation… has resulted in that all corrective actions that ought to occur on the basis of the White Paper provisions remain solely words printed on luxury paper and nothing more,” Mr Zachariades stated.
The event was also addressed by the EUC Rector, Professor Costas Gouliamos, who referred to revealing data on the revenue of the sports industry, which reaches €124 billion worldwide, as well as that of football betting that reaches near €0.5 trillion.
The Deputy Chair of the Cyprus Football Federation, Haris Loizides, replied to questions from the public, noting that “there is a problem and we will solve it!”.
The event discussed issues such as the scope and dimensions of the corruption of Cypriot Football, the factors and conditions favouring it, how it is organised and taking place, measures to combat it, as well as policies and repressive actions. The types of corruption that take place in world football as occurred from the roundtable discussion relate to:
- The assigning of football competitions to candidate countries
- The assigning of marketing services of international organizations and events
- The awarding of contracts for the production and promotion of sports clothing
- Money laundering
- Television Rights
- Legal and illegal betting – Match Fixing
- Referee Promotions between categories
Also speaking at the event were:
- Leontios Tselepos – Member of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Sports Organisation
- Police Officer Christoforos Mavrommatis, Head of Crime Division, Cyprus Police
- Spyros Neofitidis – Executive Chairman of PASP, Vice President of FIFPRO Division Europe
- Andros Kouloumbris – President of the Cyprus Football Coaches Association
- George Papoutsos – President of the Cyprus Referees Association
- Andreas Makris – International Football Player, Sports Science Graduate
- Prof. Andreas Makris – European University Cyprus, Former Vice-Rector of Academic Affairs, Former SG of Cyprus Referees Association, Former SG of Cyprus Coaches Association,
- Dr. Antonis Alexopoulos – European University Cyprus, Doctor of Sport Sociology, President PASYPEFAA
The discussion was coordinated by Assistant Professor of Sport & Exercise Physiology at European University Cyprus, Dr. George Panayiotou.