Cypriot referees suspended following VAR intervention investigation

Two Cypriot football officials, Rovertos Kostas and Charalambos Georgiou, have been handed lengthy suspensions from refereeing duties. The decision follows an investigation into the match between APOEL and AEL during the second matchday of the championship, where reports confirmed an unauthorized external intervention into the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) process regarding a case involving the player Cafu.

Rovertos Kostas, who served as the VAR official, and Charalambos Georgiou, the Assistant VAR (AVAR) for the match, have been excluded from officiating duties for both the fifth and sixth matchdays. While the pair had previously returned to assignments in the third and fourth rounds, the final report from the Cyprus Football Association (KOP) confirmed the external interference, leading to the current disciplinary action. Reports indicate that the punishment is significant, though it remains unclear when the pair will be permitted to return to their officiating roles. The case has caused significant concern within the domestic sporting community regarding the integrity of the officiating process.