Cypriot Football Association president addresses officiating concerns

On October 13, 2026, the Cyprus Football Association (CFA) and the Cyprus Sports Journalists Association organized a joint seminar focused on recent changes to refereeing regulations. The event, held at the Allwyn 'Eu Agonizesthai' hall at the Cyprus Olympic Committee, featured keynote speeches from CFA President Charis Loizides, Arbitration Committee President Antonio Damato, and instructor Christos Nikolaidis.

During his address, Charis Loizides called for fair treatment of local officials, criticizing the culture of 'character assassination' regarding refereeing in Cyprus. He argued that while errors by players and coaches are tolerated, referee mistakes are met with excessive hostility. Loizides acknowledged that structural problems persist, particularly regarding the use of VAR, which has led the federation to employ foreign officials to mitigate issues. He emphasized that the federation began an initiative last year to develop and promote local referees and questioned the fairness of current public criticism, noting that domestic league and European results have remained legitimate.

The seminar aims to foster better communication between the federation and the media. Loizides challenged journalists to report on injustice when it occurs, but requested that they maintain a balanced approach when analyzing officiating decisions.