Refereeing controversy in the Akritas Chlorakas vs Pafos FC match

During the match between Akritas Chlorakas and Pafos FC on March 14, 2026, referee Menelaos Antoniou faced significant criticism regarding his decisions. In the 5th minute, Akritas appealed for a penalty after a challenge on Manu by Bruno, but the referee and VAR ruled against it, resulting in a yellow card for Fernandez due to dissent. In the 17th minute, VAR suggested a penalty for a handball by Romo against Pafos FC, but Antoniou maintained his original no-penalty decision after an on-field review, deeming the hand position natural. Analyst Giannakis Kyprianidis reviewed the match and supported Antoniou's right to disagree with the VAR official. Critics have questioned the consistency of the officiating and the oversight by chief referee Damato. These incidents occurred during the 26th matchday of the Cypriot first division.