Nikolas Leventis voiced strong complaints about the way the Kafou case unfolded while speaking on SPOR FM 95.
The AEL press officer highlighted the fact that different versions of the incident were presented, with details that, according to him, are not true.
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He also commented on the lifting of Anorthosis’s penalties, pointing out that similar cases involving the “Lions” last year were handled differently.
Finally, he addressed the team’s relationship with CFF President Haris Loizidis, making it clear that the team’s intention is not to create a rift on a personal level, but to ensure equal treatment.
In detail:
Regarding yesterday’s decision: “Yesterday, we essentially experienced three different realities, which, in our view and that of the fans, highlight the problems within the judicial system. To our great surprise, we read a written statement just two hours before the hearing of two serious cases in the Court of Appeals. A statement that raises serious ethical concerns. Why did Mr. Antoniadis, the president of the judicial body he heads, choose to make an official statement two hours before the hearing of these two cases? The Cyprus Bar Association should address this. The content, taken as a whole, is fine. The issue is that he could have done this three weeks ago. It is a matter of ethics and respect for the process.
Let’s now turn to Anorthosis’s appeal—a case that was essentially decided using the same line of argument; AEL’s appeal was rejected last year. What has changed this year? Isn’t Anorthosis’s penalty codified? It’s exactly the same logic, the same articles, the same arguments. This isn’t a matter concerning Anorthosis, but rather the application of the regulations. The same Judicial Committee is facing serious questions and remains terribly exposed due to the penalty it had imposed, since the Court of Appeals itself stepped in and told them that a mistake had been made.”
Regarding the reasoning: “In which European country do we have to wait 2–3 weeks for the reasoning? They told us yesterday. It would be good for the public to be informed about all issues, not just the ones we find convenient to highlight. But how is it possible for a standardized sentence to be reduced, when last year it couldn’t be changed?”
Regarding the Kafou case: “When five people witness the same incident and two of them arrive at completely different conclusions from the other three, then they’re playing with people’s intelligence. The two concluded that the gum fell out of his mouth, and the three concluded that he spat it out. We also heard a specific judge tell us that “Limnios made a great effort to avoid spitting.” Did you see Limnios making that effort? Limnios was on the ground with his back turned to Kafou. We see the same sequence of events. We don’t see the player avoiding the spit—he wasn’t even in the frame.”
“I believe that if this is what we want, we truly deserve our fate. It’s no coincidence that Cypriot soccer is held in such low regard; as long as some people choose to turn a blind eye, this will only get worse. I wish certain things that have been around for decades would be eradicated, and I wish some people would realize that this product called soccer must be protected. We couldn’t help but laugh yesterday when that particular judge told us this. In any case, we must move forward; we must handle this suspension properly—the player must sit out six matches. Five league matches and one cup match. We’re asking the fans to send a message to all of them by filling the stadium. We have to be careful. We are the only team that has been hit with a fan ban.”
On relations with the CFF president: “It is not our intention to come into conflict with Mr. Loizidis as a person, but what we had asked of the CFF president is equal treatment. Quite rightly, the CFF, as an institution, was present at the Gala Dinner. I believe this confrontation will not continue. That is, of course, provided the Federation has realized that certain things need to be corrected. In other words, the CFF should remove people who have no connection to soccer. In no democratic country would the person who imposed the penalty be appointed in writing just two hours before the Court of Appeals hearing. The inconsistency in the decisions is evident. We’re turning the page.”
