Cyprus Women’s Football: Progress on Paper, Problems on the Pitch

Despite recent policy changes aimed at promoting gender equity in sport, the state of women’s football in Cyprus remains precarious. Behind the official statements and strategic plans lies a struggling domestic league, inconsistent infrastructure, and a national team forced to make do with second-hand resources.

A League on the Brink

The 2024–25 Cyprus Women’s Football Championship featured just six participating clubs. However, the fragility of the competition was laid bare when two of those teams—Karmiotissa and Lefkothea Latsion—withdrew before the season’s end due to financial and operational collapse. For players affected, this was more than a sporting inconvenience—it was the abrupt loss of their livelihood.

Several current and former players have spoken out about the harsh realities of competing in the league. One described living in cramped accommodation, sharing a single apartment room with four other teammates. Conditions like these highlight the persistent lack of support and investment in women’s football at the domestic level.

The National Team’s Identity Crisis

The struggles extend to the international stage. In 2025, the Cyprus women’s national team faced widespread criticism after being seen wearing recycled kits originally designed for the men’s national team. Not only did this undermine the team’s professional image, but various elements of the attire—including outdated sponsor patches hastily covered with fabric—highlighted a broader lack of coordination and respect.

To compound matters, the technical staff were outfitted in entirely different gear from separate brands, creating a disjointed and unprofessional look for a team representing its country on the international stage.

A Veteran’s Candid Testimony

National team veteran Andria Michael, who has represented Cyprus since 2006, offered an emotional reflection in an article for FIFPRO. She shared that her club, Lefkothea, had recently folded—effectively forcing her into early retirement. Speaking at FIFPRO Europe’s Raising Our Game conference, she admitted that if she had a daughter, she would not encourage her to pursue football in Cyprus.

Michael’s testimony painted a sobering picture: national team players receiving compensation that barely offsets the unpaid leave they take from work, a lack of professional contracts, and inadequate equipment—such as being forced to play in sub-zero temperatures without long-sleeved kits.

“It feels like I’ve faced a lot of challenges for little reward as a player,” she wrote. “So, with everything considered, why would I put my daughter in that position to go through what I’ve been through?”

A New Set of Regulations

In response to growing criticism, the Cyprus Football Association (CFA) issued a circular ahead of the 2025–26 season detailing mandatory participation rules and regulatory updates for women’s football.

Most notably, all clubs in the Men’s First Division are now required to either:

• Field a senior women’s team in the national championship, or

• Operate a youth girls’ team in one of the following categories: U11, U13, U15, or U18.

While this appears to be a progressive move on paper, implementation remains uneven. Of the professional clubs in Cyprus, only Omonoia, Apollon, and Aris Limassol currently operate a senior women’s team. Meanwhile, APOEL, Olympiakos Nicosia, AEK Larnaca, AEL Limassol, Ethnikos Achna, and Pafos FC have met the requirement by establishing girls’ U18 teams—technically compliant, but arguably less impactful in terms of meaningful engagement with senior women’s football.

Player Quotas and Coaching Standards

The CFA has also introduced new matchday and registration criteria. Each team must begin matches with at least six Cypriot-eligible players, and no fewer than four must remain on the pitch by the final whistle. Clubs that fail to meet these quotas will face fines of €500 per missing player.

Additional restrictions limit clubs to registering 20 professional players over the age of 22—ten of whom must be locally developed (registered in Cyprus before the age of 18). No more than three non-European players may be registered across both senior and reserve squads.

All teams are now required to employ a head coach with at least a UEFA A Licence and an assistant with a UEFA B Licence. These individuals must be solely dedicated to the women’s team and may not hold additional roles within the club.

Players aged 14 and over are eligible to participate in the women’s league, with exceptions allowing up to two 13-year-olds per club, provided they meet medical clearance requirements.

Looking Ahead

The CFA has framed these new measures as part of its contribution to FIFPRO Europe’s Raising Our Game Europe 2025 (ROGE25) initiative, a cross-continental programme aimed at improving standards in women’s domestic football.

Cyprus is one of 12 countries involved in the project. As part of the initiative, FIFPRO has provided a development toolkit to PASP, the local players’ union, which continues to advocate for improved conditions, professional contracts, and player welfare.

Yet for many, these changes come too late. For players like Andria Michael and others whose careers have been cut short by structural shortcomings, the reforms are little more than a bittersweet reminder of what could have been.

Women’s football in Cyprus is not without talent or passion—but until that is matched by consistent investment, structural support, and genuine professional pathways, the sport risks remaining little more than a side project in a male-dominated system.