Cypriot football clubs demand foreign referees amid officiating crisis

Cypriot football clubs, led by APOEL, have formally requested the use of foreign referees for the remainder of the season following several controversial officiating decisions in recent playoff and cup matches. APOEL officials expressed dissatisfaction after their match against Aris and are seeking meetings with the Cyprus Football Association (CFA) to address the perceived decline in local officiating quality. Omonia also reported concerns regarding the performance of Latvian referee Andris Treimanis during their match against Pafos FC. CFA spokesperson Konstantinos Siamboullis acknowledged the pressure on teams and confirmed that head of the refereeing committee, Antonio D'Amato, is evaluating the situation. D'Amato noted that while the association supports local referees, they are considering assigning foreign officials to critical matches in the second group. However, the CFA stated that availability of international referees is limited and not always dependent on their preference. The association maintains that mistakes occur in all leagues, but promised to take measures to ensure the integrity of the remaining championship fixtures.