Four of Cyprus’s top football clubs must pay hundreds of thousands of euros in tax arrears by March end or face criminal prosecution and potential UEFA competition bans, sources close to the matter said.
APOEL, Apollon, Anorthosis, and AEL met with the Tax Commissioner Sotiris Markides, following their failure to meet payment obligations under a previous settlement scheme.
The clubs collectively owe approximately 5 million euros in new tax debts accumulated since agreeing to a previous repayment plan for earlier arrears.
Finance Minister Makis Keravnos has rejected the clubs’ proposal to make token payments, with some clubs reportedly owing more than 1 million euros each.
Anorthosis faces a comparatively lower debt of about 600,000 euros.
The Tax Department will not issue UEFA compliance certificates if the clubs fail to make “substantial payments” by late March, potentially affecting their participation in European competitions and domestic league standings.
Club presidents had previously expressed willingness to begin repaying accumulated debts with small instalments, but the Finance Ministry deemed these proposals insufficient.
The clubs may seek a meeting with the President of Cyprus in a final attempt to suspend criminal proceedings and negotiate new payment terms.
The Cyprus Football Association (CFA) might also intervene at a political level.
Sources say the clubs’ chances of raising the required amounts within the deadline appear slim, with even APOEL’s recent European competition revenues potentially insufficient to meet the tax authority’s demands.
