Analysis of the Cypriot football landscape by CIES Football Observatory

The CIES Football Observatory recently published data regarding the Cypriot football league, highlighting several structural trends. Cyprus ranks first among 50 leagues for the highest share of foreign player participation, accounting for 78.9% of total minutes played. Conversely, the league records the lowest percentage of club-trained players globally, at just 3.43%. Regarding youth development over the past five years, Omonoia leads domestic clubs by giving 9.2% of total playing time to players under 21, having utilized 19 such players. Aris follows with 4.4% and APOEL with 4.3%, while AEL utilized 31 young players but with only 3.7% of total playing time. Omonoia’s squad composition over this period included 51.3% of players over 29 years old. Additionally, Omonoia continues to sign young prospects, such as 18-year-old Konstantinos Panagi, who signed a contract until 2028.