Konstantinos Siamboullis, the press officer for the Cyprus Football Association (CFA), spoke with “SPOR FM 95.0” about everything related to the Cyprus national team and more.
He first addressed the competitive aspect ahead of the four Nations League matches and then commented on Chris Triantafyllides’ post, saying that there is a lack of respect on the part of the Federation’s former president.
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He also addressed issues such as refereeing and the use of foreign referees, as well as Dimitris Grigoris’s letter of resignation.
His statements:
On the national team’s preparations and the current situation: “We began preparations yesterday. It’s a demanding and difficult period. We have four games in 11 days, with two away and two at home. It’s a grueling period with very little time to prepare. Our goal is to perform well in the tournament.”
On the goal: “The President was at practice yesterday. He mentioned that this tournament presents a great opportunity and emphasized that the time has come to deliver results. The goals that have been set are clear, and we need to set the bar high. The goals reflect the roster, the talent we have, and the coaching staff. We want to take steps forward. It’s not easy because we’re not playing alone, but we’re committed, and we hope to succeed.”
On the team’s situation: “Andreou was ruled out. Then came the issues with Laifis and Sielis, who will be evaluated on a daily basis. Sielis will likely miss the first two games, while Laifis will follow his training program and will step in as soon as he’s ready.”
On the rotation plan: “Of course, the coach has a rotation plan. That’s why he has 28 players on the roster. It’s a difficult period for all national teams. There are issues that can arise during matches, and there’s also the matter of cards, because two yellow cards mean you miss a game. Everyone has to be ready for action.”
On Edwards and Tsaroulla: “He’s happy to have joined the team. He’s an important player with experience at the highest level. He’s played for all of England’s youth national teams, played in the Premier League, and is a key player. And Nicholas Tsaroulla has also joined us; he was a classmate of Edwards, and they found out about it yesterday. He’s playing all over the right side for his team this season and is a key player.”
Regarding Triantafyllidis’s allegations: “All call-ups are made strictly based on soccer criteria. We believe that such statements show a lack of respect toward all members of the national team. This particular player has been called up in the past, and when the coach deems it appropriate to call him up again, he will do so. Let’s stop seeing things that aren’t there. I should also point out that the coach is not accountable to the CFF president for whom he calls up, but for the results. In other words, did Mr. Triantafyllides want the CFF president to intervene?”
On refereeing and the issue of foreign referees: “We believe that the outcry and protests are out of proportion to the refereeing. Of course, mistakes have been made; not everything is perfect, but not to the extent of the intensity of the outcries. Refereeing is always the easy scapegoat. The situation won’t change, but the outcries, announcements, and statements are disproportionate to the mistakes. The use of foreign officials for VAR is an issue raised by the CFF president with Mr. Damato. “What was said at last Thursday’s meeting has been taken into account by the Federation’s leadership, and we will provide an update once a decision has been made.”
Regarding Dimitris Grigoris’s letter: “The matter was discussed. Grigoris’s resignation has been accepted, and a decision will soon be made on how the committee will proceed and whether or not Mr. Grigoris will be replaced.”
Regarding the fact that there is no longer a regular breakdown of plays each week: “A breakdown of plays will be provided only in exceptional cases, at Mr. Damatos’s discretion. Last year, this happened on two occasions.”
Regarding the stadiums: “There is a roadmap for the improvement projects that need to be carried out at each stadium. For Tsireio Stadium, the announcement is clear: a team that starts at a particular stadium cannot change it during the first phase of the championship.”
