Limiting presence of football fans ‘an easy way out’

The football players association (Pasp) on Monday voiced strong concerns over the government’s stance on restricting the movement of fans, urging instead for the enforcement of existing laws to tackle violence in sports.

Last Thursday, Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis met representatives of the Cyprus Football Association (CFA), including its chairman Giorgos Koumas, police chief Stelios Papatheodorou and the president of the Cyprus Sports Organisation (KOA) Yiannis Ioannou to discuss fan movement during football matches for the upcoming season.

The meeting ended with a stalemate between the parties and they decided to reconvene at a later date, yet to be set.

Last week, the CFA had decided to allocate 10 per cent of the seating capacity in all stadiums to visiting fans attending games in the first division’s championship, a move heavily criticised by Pasp, which said in a statement that “limiting the fans’ presence is not an ideal solution, but rather an easy way out”.

“Fans should have free access to stadiums in a secure environment,” the statement said, further arguing that “violence in football cannot be addressed by punishing all fans but rather through targeted enforcement against those who cause trouble”.

“Pasp believes the government’s approach to ban fan movement is simplistic and not effective. The key is to combat violence is through the application of the law.”

Pasp also added that, since April 23, 2024, the Council of Europe convention on an integrated safety, security and service approach at football matches has been ratified into law in Cyprus. The convention, consisting of 22 articles, aims to create a welcoming and safe environment at sporting events.

The association outlined several measures provided under the convention, including the establishment of a national strategy to combat sports violence, and the enforcement of immediate penalties and administrative sanctions.

Pasp also stressed the need “for better coordination among stakeholders, compliance with the new laws, and a comprehensive approach involving safety, security, and service”.

“Despite the new legal framework, we observed that none of these measures seem to have been considered by the government,” the statement continued.

Pasp also mentioned previous recommendations, such as upgrading CCTV systems and improving stadium security, which have not been implemented, and referenced a conference it co-organised with the worldwide representative organisation for football player FIFPro on April 5 in Limassol, titled “Player Workplace Safety”, where stakeholders were briefed on the necessary measures.

“However, the justice ministry did not send a representative to the meeting,” the statement said.

“We are strongly opposed to the banning of visiting fans from stadiums and we want to underline once again the importance of punishing those responsible for violent acts and behaviours.

“A society must not only legislate but also enforce laws effectively. Blanket bans will not produce results and will not ensure the safety and enjoyment of all football fans,” the statement concluded.