Haris Fotiou spoke about the investment fund’s interest and the process of taking over the management of APOEL’s soccer club during a press conference he held.
The president of the “blue-and-yellows” noted that UEFA’s first official response regarding the matter is expected by the end of the week.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Here is a key excerpt from his remarks: “I’d like to begin by providing an update, within the limits of what I’m permitted to disclose, on where we stand. As you know, and as we mentioned at the general meeting, we are currently in discussions with the investment fund you’re familiar with. I’ve seen various things in recent days. I’d like to tell everyone—without taking anything away from the journalists—that we committed to announcing any developments as soon as any stage of the agreement is finalized.
Today, yes, it’s true that there have been several consultations with the Cyprus Football Association (CFA), which represents us at UEFA, regarding the request. UEFA’s goal is not to shut down clubs; but to act within legal frameworks—and here I should note that no one is discussing transfers worth millions from teams that owe three times as much as APOEL, such as Barcelona and Real Madrid. UEFA’s work isn’t limited to the 90 minutes on the field.
We know that, within the limits of its capabilities, the CFF—and so far, all three parties involved—the club and the investor—are very pleased that the CFF is willing to help. We are drafting specific terms and points of mutual understanding. We are simply awaiting UEFA’s response. The KOP has already reached out and submitted the request; if it is accepted, we will proceed. If it isn’t, we’ll sit down again in the office to see what we can improve.
It’s a letter that would allow the investor to manage APOEL—the agreement with the club. I’m cautiously optimistic about the response.
If it’s accepted, in March we’ll move quickly to finalize the remaining procedural steps of the agreement—to transfer the management of APOEL to the new company.
As of now, we have verbally agreed on everything. Once we receive a positive response, we’ll go over all the details and sit down with the investor and his team to figure out how the funds will be injected, as he understands the difficult times APOEL is facing. He wants to get financially involved immediately, even before a new company is established.
By the end of this week or early next week, we’ll have UEFA’s response.”
