Doxa Katokopias faces criticism over repetitive substitution tactics

Doxa Katokopias has drawn intense criticism for exploiting regulations in the Cypriot Second Division football league. Over the first six matchdays, the team consistently used a tactic where they fielded the mandatory number of Cypriot players only to substitute them within the first minute of play. Starting from the league premiere, the club utilized seven different Cypriot players—including Stouppis, Venizelos, Herakleous, Christodoulou, Constantinou, Mythillos, and Raspas—who were removed almost immediately after kickoff.

The most recent incident occurred during the match against Iraklis Gerolakkou, where coach Apostolos Terzis performed a double substitution in the first minute, even though players Tsiliggiris and Edgar were originally listed in the starting eleven. Critics, including local media, argue that this practice turns football into a purely administrative calculation and disrespects the dignity of the athletes involved. While team president Kostas Christodoulou reportedly defends this as creative regulatory compliance, the practice has sparked calls for the Cyprus Football Association (KOP) to address the loophole. The association has been accused of negligence for monitoring the trend without taking corrective action to protect the intent of the rules regarding local player participation.