CIES report analyzes youth development and club-trained players in Cypriot football

The latest CIES Football Observatory data indicates that the Cypriot first division has the lowest percentage of club-trained players in the studied rankings, standing at 3.43%. Conversely, a separate CIES report focusing on the last five years highlights Omonia as the leading Cypriot club in utilizing players under 21 years old. Omonia recorded a 9.2% share of total playing time for under-21 players during this period, significantly higher than Aris at 4.4% and APOEL at 4.3%. While AEL used a higher total of 31 young players, their total playing time contribution was lower at 3.7%. Omonia's roster composition over the past five years has been dominated by players aged 29 and over, who accounted for 51.3% of total minutes. In an effort to continue youth integration, Omonia recently signed 18-year-old midfielder Konstantinos Panagi to a contract extending until 2028. The data highlights a contrast between the national trend of low academy-player utilization and the individual efforts of specific clubs like Omonia to integrate younger talent.