- Over 60 young footballers in Cyprus have had to postpone their football careers for military service this year
- It comes after the Cypriot Ministry of Defence decided to unilaterally change the country’s protocol
- "I'm afraid that after 14 months without any training, my team won't renew my contract," says one player
Cypriot player union PASP is asking the country’s president Nikos Christodoulides to prevent that over 60 players will be forced to postpone – and possibly have to end – their football careers for military service.
Military service is mandatory in Cyprus for 18-year-old male citizens, who have to undertake a 14-month conscription. While PASP acknowledges the importance of military service, they have also pointed out negative consequences: the biggest drawback is that it could result in players at professional clubs not being able to play or train for 14 months.
To avoid that these players will be lost from the game when they perform compulsory military service, the union agreed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Defence, which was signed by the Cyprus Sports Organization, the body that represents all governing sports bodies in the country.
The agreement stipulated that in total 168 players were allowed to practice and play with their clubs, depending on their level. Footballers from the highest division were allowed to attend six practice sessions and one match per week, players from the second tier could join five practices and a match, and those from the third and fourth level were entitled to four training sessions. Teams from the top division could have up to four "army players", second-tier teams could have up to three, and third and fourth level teams were allowed two.
However, the Ministry of Defence recently decided to unilaterally change the protocol, allowing only 106 players to practice and play and reducing the maximum number of army players per team with one footballer per club from 15 April. "It means that for 62 players, sport is non-existent," said PASP President Spyros Neofytides.
The decision was taken less than three months before it came into effect on 1 July, at a moment when most teams had already informed the players who would be on their army roster. Now, these clubs have had to tell players they had to be scratched from the list.
Neofytides said: "For months, these players had thought that their military service would not affect their career as a footballer, but due to this sudden change, their future plans are now drastically different. It would have been better if the Ministry had included a grace period for this year's recruits."
'My future as a professional footballer is lost'
PASP has received numerous complaints from players and parents, who are sharing their concerns and frustration. Some players say they are experiencing symptoms of depression, as they fear their chance of becoming a professional footballer has diminished or disappeared completely.
One player said: "I was on my team’s list as one of the players who would have the right to leave the army camp for a few hours for training, but with this reduction, my future as a professional footballer is lost. I'm afraid that after 14 months without any training my team won't renew my contract or will terminate it."
The union has had several meetings with the Ministry, but so far these efforts have been unsuccessful, with the Ministry invoking "national security reasons" for their refusal to alter their decision.
Neofytifdes said: "It is difficult to comprehend what difference it makes to prohibit those 62 players from playing football or training with their team. We are talking about them not being present for a number of afternoons or evenings during a week. Does that threaten our national security?
"Every day we hear about the indignation and the agony of athletes and their families," Neofytides continued. "We call on the relevant authorities and the government to listen to young footballers and their families by restoring the number of soldier athletes who are provided with facilities to what was the case in previous years.
"It is sad when the President of our Republic, Mr. Christodoulides, says that the greatest investment he can make in this country is in sport – and then realise that at the same time his government and the Ministry have made a decision that endangers the sporting career of more than 62 athletes. If the President of the Republic really cares about sport, he should intervene and correct this mistake immediately."
