Ministry of Education Considers Support Measures for Student Footballers

The Ministry of Education, Sports, and Youth is evaluating the possibility of offering special accommodations in certain cases for final-year football players in the top division who face significant challenges due to school absences. This decision was discussed in a meeting on March 24, 2025, between Minister Athina Michailidou and the Executive President of the Cyprus Footballers’ Association (PASP), Spyros Neofytidis.

The meeting, held at the Ministry, was attended by senior officials, including Secondary Education Director Nikolas Yiasoumis, Physical Education Inspector Theoti Pourou, and Minister’s Office Officer Olga Papadimou. Representing PASP were footballers Andria Michail and Dimitrianos Tzouliou. The 19-year-old Ethnikos player shared his personal experiences, highlighting the difficulties young athletes face when balancing professional football aspirations with academic commitments.

Mr. Neofytidis emphasised the need to address absenteeism and ensure student footballers can attend their classes. The Minister and her team expressed concern and discussed potential solutions, with the most promising being a personalised home-based learning program. This approach would ensure students keep up with their studies without missing crucial training sessions.

Dr. Michailidou stressed that strict criteria must be established to prevent misuse of these accommodations. She also requested PASP’s assistance in identifying elite student-athletes who genuinely require support.

Gender Equality in National Teams

Another key topic raised by PASP was gender equality in national teams. Mr. Neofytidis criticised both the Cyprus Sports Organisation (KOA) and the Cyprus Football Association (CFA) for failing to implement existing legislation on equal benefits.

Former Lefkothea player Andria Michail highlighted various challenges faced by female international footballers, including exhausting travel schedules for overseas matches without financial compensation. She described the difficulties of long-haul flights, stating, “We have to travel across the world just to reach our destination.”

She also pointed out that players receive payments from the Federation without clear breakdowns or transparency, unlike in previous years. Michail stressed that the passion and dedication of female footballers are what keep the national team going.

Mr. Neofytidis informed the Minister that this issue had also been recently discussed with the Speaker of the Parliament, Annita Demetriou, who committed to taking action to address the inequalities.

Additional Concerns: Minimum Wage and Player Transfers

The discussion also covered broader inequalities in Cypriot football, including the lack of a minimum wage for players.

Mr. Neofytidis also raised concerns about restrictions imposed by some clubs on the free movement of young footballers. The Minister received a report from the Commissioner for Children’s Rights, Despo Michailidou, which stated that refusing to grant transfers contradicts the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and does not serve the best interests of young athletes.

Dr. Michailidou assured that the Ministry would take concrete steps to address these issues and support fair solutions.

Collaboration and Heat Stress Prevention Protocol

The PASP President also briefed the Ministry on the association’s school outreach programs, which focus on educating students about violence and racism. Possible areas of collaboration between PASP and the Ministry were explored.

Finally, Mr. Neofytidis presented the Athlete Heat Stress Prevention Protocol, developed based on international medical guidelines, including FIFA’s Football Medicine Manual and Sports Medicine Australia. The protocol, aligned with the Ministry of Labor’s heat stress regulations, will be reviewed by the Ministry to assess its potential for protecting student-athletes from heat-related risks during physical activities.