Vassos Koutsiountas, General Director of the KOA, commented on Maccabi Tel Aviv’s home court in the EuroLeague, the “Spyros Kyprianou” Arena.
First, he officially commented on the announcement by the volleyball division of RoboMarkets AEL, which he described as unfair.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
He then confirmed that only procedural matters remain to be resolved and that the first game to be played will be Maccabi vs. Real Madrid on October 22.
The statements
Regarding the RoboMarkets AEL announcement: “A meeting was held with the president of KOPE, which had already been scheduled. It wasn’t just about ‘Spyros Kyprianou.’ We need to set the record straight following AEL’s announcement. The announcement is unfair. Essentially, it affects one of the volleyball team’s matches, on November 17, against Anorthosis. The match schedule will be adjusted slightly, and the team won’t need to change venues. There are two other games that overlap with the basketball team’s matches, but that won’t be a problem. Some training sessions will be affected, but solutions will be found. No decision was made to the detriment of any team. It’s easy to criticize and dismiss everything. As the KOA, we will welcome Maccabi, which will bring multiple benefits. We’re all talking about promoting Cyprus. How will that promotion happen? When criticism is leveled and everything is dismissed, it’s unfair. Some of AEL’s basketball games are affected, and we’ve already adjusted the schedule. No team will be treated unfairly. There are solutions to the problems. I don’t know why the team’s basketball division is understanding, but the volleyball division isn’t.”
On whether the stadium is ready: “Meetings have been held with the police, and the stadium is fully ready. Everything is going well, and the games will take place as scheduled. The first game is against Real Madrid on October 22. The EuroLeague is awaiting a form regarding the arena and its technical specifications. We’re filling it out now, and after that, we expect to proceed as usual.”
Regarding tickets: “Allocation is strictly a matter for the police: 3,000 for Maccabi, 1,500 for Cypriots, and 100 for visiting fans. These numbers may change.”
On whether other sports are affected: “Arrangements have been made for the other sports that are affected. The goal is to minimize disruption as much as possible. We want to show good will. These matches are for the good of Cypriot sports, and fans will enjoy them. We’ll see high-level matches.”
Regarding Tsirion Stadium: “We are waiting for the licensing authorities to make a final decision. Obviously, there are issues with the stadium. We must wait for the final decisions. It’s unlikely to be licensed. As for the other stadiums, we’re waiting for the procedures to be completed.”
Regarding the other stadiums: “We’re waiting for the procedures to be completed. We have a meeting with each stadium owner tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. to provide a full update so they’ll be ready by the 15th of the month.”
