During the European opening match between Omonia Nicosia and Kairat Almaty at the GSP Stadium on July 22, 2026, Omonia defender Loic Nego was shown a direct red card in the 35th minute. The Portuguese referee, Gustavo Correia, initially issued a yellow card for a foul on Mata, but upgraded the decision to a red card following an on-field review recommended by VAR official Helder Malheiro, who determined the challenge was made with studs up.

This incident, which left Omonia playing with ten men for the remainder of the first half, sparked significant backlash from the home crowd. As the teams headed to the dressing rooms at halftime, supporters expressed their intense dissatisfaction with the officiating by booing referee Gustavo Correia. The match was noted as a difficult debut for Nego, who joined the Cypriot champions recently, and the team faced the challenge of competing with a numerical disadvantage for the majority of the encounter.