Peyia 2014: Football’s Wildest Soap Opera

Peyia has always been known for its picturesque coastline and Mediterranean charm – the kind of place where retirees settle and celebrities, like Shakira reportedly, purchase holiday homes. But while the town exudes serenity, its football club has been anything but tranquil.

In June 2024, Peyia 2014’s official Instagram account transformed from a sports update page into a digital exposé, publicly calling out individuals claiming to represent the club’s executive board. Without warning, the account began publishing screenshots, accusations, and inflammatory commentary – more reminiscent of a courtroom drama than a Second Division football team’s communications channel.

The posts accused a group of fraudulently submitting documentation to the Cyprus Football Association (CFA) under the pretence of forming a new board. Terms such as “scammers,” “impostors,” and “fraud” were freely used, with references to alleged financial irregularities and even suggestions of involvement by the Mayor of Peyia.

One of the central figures in this online crusade was former head coach Kostas Kokkonis, who was accused of match-fixing. The allegations weren’t subtle – the Instagram account published poorly edited images of Kokkonis surrounded by money, alongside captions such as:

• “Wich game Kostas asks players to receive more than 4 goals?”

• “Bravo to the players of both teams who heard this animal and did not do what they were asked by Kostas and Elpis.”

• “Need 3 points?” — accompanied by Kokkonis’ personal phone number.

The account even posted what appeared to be a WhatsApp exchange between Kokkonis and the Mayor, relating to venue access. Separately, private messages were shared from players who claimed they were approached by agents asking for upfront payments to secure transfers – a so-called “pay-to-play” model.

With every new accusation, the club’s account doubled down: more screenshots, more allegations, more names. Eventually, an alternate page – “Pegeia Pegeia” – emerged, declaring itself the club’s only official voice and condemning the Instagram content as defamatory and false. The saga took on the air of an administrative custody battle over a financially unstable football club.

This Is Mappa HQ even received an anonymous tip claiming Kokkonis instructed players to concede five goals in a 2023 cup match against APOEL – a request they allegedly ignored, resulting in a 2–0 loss. The same source suggested that the individuals running the rival Facebook page were the same ones accused in the social media fallout. According to them, ownership of the club would depend on CFA approval of disputed documentation.

Kokkonis responded cryptically via a video of himself juggling tennis balls, captioned: “When you have… You don’t hide behind an anonymous & fake profile.” He then blocked all further communication.

On 17 June 2024, the club’s Instagram account claimed to publish the very documents sent to the CFA by the alleged impostors – questioning the legitimacy of any elections held without prior notice or a general meeting. Then, just as quickly as it had escalated, the account went silent. Not a word, not a post – complete digital blackout.

That silence lasted until August 2024, when Peyia returned with an announcement of a new strategic partnership with Apex Capital Global LLC. Questions immediately resurfaced. By April 2025, internal tension reached breaking point. After three months without wages, Peyia’s players refused to take the field. In response, the club threatened to cease operations entirely — thereby voiding any outstanding payments. The players proposed a compromise: pay just half of January’s wages and they would return. The club declined.

The Cypriot players’ union PASP publicly condemned the club’s actions, labelling them “disgraceful” and reminding Peyia of its obligations under FIFA regulations. Peyia fired back with a strongly worded statement threatening legal action unless PASP retracted its comments. The statement also raised five accusatory questions regarding PASP’s internal processes – from legal representation to membership fees.

Internal correspondence between the club and players was subsequently leaked. The letter accused the squad of unjustified absence and warned of disciplinary action. On that same day, Peyia arrived for a league fixture against Othellos… with just eight players. The result was inevitable. At halftime it was 7–0. Early in the second half, following injuries to two players and the squad dropping to six – the minimum required to continue – the match was abandoned.

Then, once again, came silence.

No press statements. No clarifications. No defence.

By season’s end, the club was relegated to the Third Division amid mounting debt, internal dysfunction, and complete administrative paralysis. What followed was a collapse in slow motion. Sources suggest that Peyia 2014 is now just one bureaucratic step away from being struck off the CFA registry altogether – a formal end to over a decade of competitive football.

The issue at the heart of this unraveling? Finances. With debts exceeding half a million euros, and no viable rescue plan in sight, the club found itself in a leadership vacuum. No board, no credible buyer, no sustainable model.

But amidst the collapse, a new conversation has emerged – one of rebirth. Discussions are ongoing around launching a new football club in Peyia, starting from the grassroots POASP leagues. The vision: to restore integrity, build sustainable foundations, and bring football back to the community with a fresh structure and philosophy.

Whether that becomes reality remains to be seen.