€40m needed to upgrade Cyprus football stadiums

Only two football stadiums in Cyprus meet all specifications and it would take more than €40m to improve the rest, government spokesman Kyriacos Koushos said on Tuesday.

He was speaking after a broad meeting chaired by President Nicos Anastasiades that looked into the poor condition of the island’s stadiums.

“Only two stadiums meet all the specifications, the GSP and the AEK arena; the rest need improvements, some many, some few,” the spokesman said.

Improvements will cost more than €40m, he said, with the president asking officials to prioritise, focusing on safety.

The administrators of each stadium will carry out studies with the help of the football association (CFA) to identify the most pressing needs.

A committee made up of the licensing authority, the sports organisation, the police and the CFA has been appointed to evaluate the studies and green-light the necessary repairs.

The studies and evaluations are expected to be done in around two months and a new meeting will be held to decide on how to proceed.

For example, the spokesman said, to be able to introduce the VAR system, the lighting had to be upgraded, as well as a stadium’s electrical installations.

Some have some installations in place while others have no infrastructure.

“Depending on the particular infrastructure at each stadium, we will know exactly the investment that needs to be made,” Koushos said.

 

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