The Federation’s president, Haris Loizidis, attended the refereeing seminar organized by the EAK and the KOP.
In fact, he delivered a speech in which he spoke forcefully about the issue involving Cypriot referees and the teams’ complaints, calling for understanding.
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He also acknowledged that the problem with refereeing lies with the VAR system, which is why it has been bolstered with foreign officials.
Here is what he said in detail
“Refereeing is part of soccer. We constantly attend seminars abroad, and this issue is discussed everywhere. However, it’s important to discuss it with a constructive approach. Unfortunately, in our country, it isn’t discussed with a constructive approach. It’s discussed in a way that seeks to destroy people’s reputations. Last year, we launched an initiative to promote Cypriot refereeing. We had a good year. Did Omonia not win the championship, or did the European teams not advance fairly? We ourselves should not blame the Cypriot referee. We need to give them opportunities. We tolerate mistakes by players and officials, but why don’t we tolerate refereeing errors? I challenge you to tell me if a result has been predetermined by the referees. We ask for your support in highlighting injustice where it exists, and in highlighting fairness where it exists. It’s not right for the team to lose and then blame it on the referees. Where we have a problem is with VAR. It’s a system we haven’t fully adapted to yet. That’s why we’ll be bringing in foreign VAR officials to help. Several rules have changed. Today is an opportunity for you to get up to speed. Many of you are already familiar with them, but it’s best to hear them from Antonio today as well.”
