Cypriot First Division facts for kids
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| Founded | 1934 |
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| Country | Cyprus |
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Number of teams | 14 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | Cypriot Second Division |
| Domestic cup(s) |
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| International cup(s) | UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa League UEFA Conference League |
| Current champions | APOEL (29th title) (2023–24) |
| Most championships | APOEL (29 titles) |
| Top goalscorer |  Sotiris Kaiafas (1967–1984)(261 goals) |
| TV partners | Cytavision PrimeTel Cablenet |
The Cypriot First Division is the top football league in Cyprus. It's also called the Cyta Championship because of its main sponsor. This exciting league is managed by the Cyprus Football Association.
Fourteen teams compete in the league each season. Games are played from August to May. At the end of the season, the three teams with the fewest points move down to the Cypriot Second Division. In their place, the top three teams from the Second Division join the First Division.
Contents
History of Cypriot Football
Football first came to Cyprus in the early 1900s. British people brought the sport to the island. It quickly became very popular, especially in schools. Soon, many football clubs started to form.
One of the oldest clubs, Anorthosis Famagusta FC, was founded in 1911. More clubs appeared after that. In 1932, an unofficial Cypriot Championship began. Each year, a different club would organize the championship. This sometimes led to disagreements among the teams.
As football grew, clubs realized they needed an official group to run the sport. So, in September 1934, the Cyprus Football Association (CFA) was created. This led to the official start of the Cypriot Championship and Cup, held every year. The first champions in 1935 were Trust. However, this club stopped playing three years later. The 1930s were mostly won by APOEL. They won five championships in a row until 1940. Like many other sports events worldwide, the Cypriot Championship paused during World War II from 1941 to 1945.
In 1955, Çetinkaya Türk S.K. left the Cypriot First Division. They were the only Turkish Cypriot team in the league since 1934–35. This team, along with other Turkish Cypriot teams, then formed their own football association. This new group was not officially recognized by international football bodies.
Cyprus became an independent country in 1960. Two years later, in 1962, the Cyprus Football Association became a full member of UEFA. This meant that from 1963, the Cypriot champions could play in the European Cup. The winners of the Cypriot Cup could also compete in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. Later, in 1971, the second-placed teams in the Cypriot First Division started playing in the UEFA Cup.
From 1967 to 1974, the Cypriot champions could even get promoted to the top Greek league, the Greek First National Division. Cypriot teams usually moved back down from the Greek league each season. But in 1973–74, APOEL managed to stay in the Greek Championship. This meant Cyprus would have two teams in the Greek top league. However, due to a difficult situation in Cyprus that year, APOEL and Omonia (the 1973–74 Cypriot champions) had to leave the Greek League.
How the League Works
Current Format
Since the 2022-23 season, 14 clubs play in the league. Teams earn points for wins and draws. Each club plays every other team twice, once at home and once away. This makes a total of 26 games for each club in the first part of the season.
After these 26 games, the teams are split into two groups:
- Group A: The top six teams play against each other to decide the champion and which teams will play in European competitions. This is often called the Championship Play-offs.
- Group B: The bottom eight teams play to avoid being relegated. This is known as the Relegation Play-offs.
Teams keep their points and other stats, like goal difference, when they move into these groups. In Group A, each team plays the other five teams twice, adding 10 more games. In Group B, each team plays the other seven teams twice, adding 14 more games.
At the end of the second round, the team that finishes first in Group A wins the league title. The champion team gets to play in the UEFA Champions League. The teams that finish second and third go into the UEFA Europa Conference League. If the team that wins the Cypriot Cup also finishes in the top three, then the fourth-placed team in the league also gets a spot in the Europa Conference League. The three teams at the very bottom of Group B are moved down to the Second Division.
Point System Changes
The way points are given in the Cypriot First Division has changed over the years:
- From 1934–35 to 1959–60: Teams got two points for a win, one for a draw, and zero for a loss.
- From 1960–61 to 1969–70: Teams got three points for a win, two for a draw, and one for a loss.
- From 1970–71 to 1990–91: Teams went back to two points for a win, one for a draw, and zero for a loss.
- Since the 1991–92 season: Teams get three points for a win, one for a draw, and zero for a loss. This is the system used today.
If two or more teams have the same number of points, they are ranked using these rules, in order:
- Points earned in games played between those specific teams.
- Goal difference in games played between those specific teams.
- Most away goals scored in games played between those specific teams.
- Goal difference across all games in the season.
- Most goals scored across all games in the season.
Clubs in the 2023–24 Season
| Club | Location | 2022–23 season |
|---|---|---|
| AEK Larnaca | Larnaca | 3rd |
| AEL Limassol | Limassol | 9th |
| AEZ | Limassol | Promoted from 2nd Div. |
| Anorthosis | Famagusta | 7th |
| APOEL | Nicosia | 2nd |
| Apollon Limassol | Limassol | 5th |
| Aris Limassol | Limassol | 1st |
| Doxa Katokopias | Katokopia, Nicosia | 11th |
| Ethnikos Achnas | Achna, Famagusta | Promoted from 2nd Div. |
| Karmiotissa | Pano Polemidia, Limassol | 10th |
| Nea Salamina | Famagusta | 8th |
| Othellos | Athienou, Larnaca | Promoted from 2nd Div. |
| Omonia | Nicosia | 6th |
| Pafos FC | Paphos | 4th |
League Champions Over the Years
| Season | Winners (number of titles) | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 1934–35 | Trust (1) | Çetinkaya Türk |
| 1935–36 | APOEL (1) | Trust |
| 1936–37 | APOEL (2) | Trust |
| 1937–38 | APOEL (3) | Trust |
| 1938–39 | APOEL (4) | EPA Larnaca |
| 1939–40 | APOEL (5) | Pezoporikos Larnaca |
| 1940–41 | AEL Limassol (1) | APOEL |
| 1941–44 | Not held due to World War II | |
| 1944–45 | EPA Larnaca (1) | APOEL |
| 1945–46 | EPA Larnaca (2) | APOEL |
| 1946–47 | APOEL (6) | EPA Larnaca |
| 1947–48 | APOEL (7) | AEL Limassol |
| 1948–49 | APOEL (8) | Anorthosis Famagusta |
| 1949–50 | Anorthosis Famagusta (1) | EPA Larnaca |
| 1950–51 | Çetinkaya Türk (1) | APOEL |
| 1951–52 | APOEL (9) | EPA Larnaca |
| 1952–53 | AEL Limassol (2) | Pezoporikos Larnaca |
| 1953–54 | Pezoporikos Larnaca (1) | APOEL |
| 1954–55 | AEL Limassol (3) | Pezoporikos Larnaca |
| 1955–56 | AEL Limassol (4) | APOEL |
| 1956–57 | Anorthosis Famagusta (2) | Pezoporikos Larnaca |
| 1957–58 | Anorthosis Famagusta (3) | Pezoporikos Larnaca |
| 1958–59 | Not Held | |
| 1959–60 | Anorthosis Famagusta (4) | Omonia |
| 1960–61 | Omonia (1) | Anorthosis Famagusta |
| 1961–62 | Anorthosis Famagusta (5) | Omonia |
| 1962–63 | Anorthosis Famagusta (6) | APOEL |
| 1963–64 | Championship Abandoned | |
| 1964–65 | APOEL (10) | Olympiakos Nicosia |
| 1965–66 | Omonia (2) | Olympiakos Nicosia |
| 1966–67 | Olympiakos Nicosia (1) | APOEL |
| 1967–68 | AEL Limassol (5) | Omonia |
| 1968–69 | Olympiakos Nicosia (2) | Omonia |
| 1969–70 | EPA Larnaca (3) | Pezoporikos Larnaca |
| 1970–71 | Olympiakos Nicosia (3) | Digenis Morphou |
| 1971–72 | Omonia (3) | EPA Larnaca |
| 1972–73 | APOEL (11) | Olympiakos Nicosia |
| 1973–74 | Omonia (4) | Pezoporikos Larnaca |
| 1974–75 | Omonia (5) | Enosis Neon Paralimni |
| 1975–76 | Omonia (6) | APOEL |
| 1976–77 | Omonia (7) | APOEL |
| 1977–78 | Omonia (8) | APOEL |
| 1978–79 | Omonia (9) | APOEL |
| 1979–80 | APOEL (12) | Omonia |
| 1980–81 | Omonia (10) | APOEL |
| 1981–82 | Omonia (11) | Pezoporikos Larnaca |
| 1982–83 | Omonia (12) | Anorthosis Famagusta |
| 1983–84 | Omonia (13) | Apollon Limassol |
| 1984–85 | Omonia (14) | APOEL |
| 1985–86 | APOEL (13) | Omonia |
| 1986–87 | Omonia (15) | APOEL |
| 1987–88 | Pezoporikos Larnaca (2) | APOEL |
| 1988–89 | Omonia (16) | Apollon Limassol |
| 1989–90 | APOEL (14) | Omonia |
| 1990–91 | Apollon Limassol (1) | Anorthosis Famagusta |
| 1991–92 | APOEL (15) | Anorthosis Famagusta |
| 1992–93 | Omonia (17) | Apollon Limassol |
| 1993–94 | Apollon Limassol (2) | Anorthosis Famagusta |
| 1994–95 | Anorthosis Famagusta (7) | Omonia |
| 1995–96 | APOEL (16) | Anorthosis Famagusta |
| 1996–97 | Anorthosis Famagusta (8) | Apollon Limassol |
| 1997–98 | Anorthosis Famagusta (9) | Omonia |
| 1998–99 | Anorthosis Famagusta (10) | Omonia |
| 1999–2000 | Anorthosis Famagusta (11) | Omonia |
| 2000–01 | Omonia (18) | Olympiakos Nicosia |
| 2001–02 | APOEL (17) | Anorthosis Famagusta |
| 2002–03 | Omonia (19) | Anorthosis Famagusta |
| 2003–04 | APOEL (18) | Omonia |
| 2004–05 | Anorthosis Famagusta (12) | APOEL |
| 2005–06 | Apollon Limassol (3) | Omonia |
| 2006–07 | APOEL (19) | Omonia |
| 2007–08 | Anorthosis Famagusta (13) | APOEL |
| 2008–09 | APOEL (20) | Omonia |
| 2009–10 | Omonia (20) | APOEL |
| 2010–11 | APOEL (21) | Omonia |
| 2011–12 | AEL Limassol (6) | APOEL |
| 2012–13 | APOEL (22) | Anorthosis Famagusta |
| 2013–14 | APOEL (23) | AEL Limassol |
| 2014–15 | APOEL (24) | AEK Larnaca |
| 2015–16 | APOEL (25) | AEK Larnaca |
| 2016–17 | APOEL (26) | AEK Larnaca |
| 2017–18 | APOEL (27) | Apollon Limassol |
| 2018–19 | APOEL (28) | AEK Larnaca |
| 2019–20 | Championship Cancelled | |
| 2020–21 | Omonia (21) | Apollon Limassol |
| 2021–22 | Apollon Limassol (4) | AEK Larnaca |
| 2022–23 | Aris Limassol (1) | APOEL |
| 2023–24 | APOEL (29) | AEK Larnaca |
Club Performance in the League
This table shows how many times each club has won the Cypriot First Division and how many times they've been the runner-up.
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Winning seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| APOEL | 29 | 21 | 1935–36, 1936–37, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1939–40, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1951–52, 1964–65, 1972–73, 1979–80, 1985–86, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1995–96, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2023–24 |
| Omonia | 21 | 16 | 1960–61, 1965–66, 1971–72, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1992–93, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2009–10, 2020–21 |
| Anorthosis | 13 | 10 | 1949–50, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1959–60, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1994–95, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2004–05, 2007–08 |
| AEL Limassol | 6 | 2 | 1940–41, 1952–53, 1954–55, 1955–56, 1967–68, 2011–12 |
| Apollon Limassol | 4 | 6 | 1990–91, 1993–94, 2005–06, 2021–22 |
| EPA Larnaca | 3 | 5 | 1944–45, 1945–46, 1969–70 |
| Olympiakos Nicosia | 3 | 4 | 1966–67, 1968–69, 1970–71 |
| Pezoporikos Larnaca | 2 | 8 | 1953–54, 1987–88 |
| Trust | 1 | 3 | 1934–35 |
| Çetinkaya Türk | 1 | 1 | 1950–51 |
| Aris Limassol | 1 | — | 2022–23 |
| AEK Larnaca | — | 5 | – |
| Digenis Morphou | — | 1 | – |
| Enosis Neon Paralimni | — | 1 | – |
Teams in the Top Division (All-Time)
This table shows how many seasons each club has played in the Cypriot First Division, up to the 2023/24 season. In total, 45 teams have played at least one season.
Teams in bold are playing in the 2024-25 Cypriot First Division.
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- The 1963–64 Cypriot First Division season is not included here because it was stopped before it finished.
- Çetinkaya's total includes 12 seasons when they played as Lefkosa Turk Spor Kulubu.
- APEP Pitsilia's total includes one season as APEP Limassol.
Images for kids
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A robot for kids, representing Kiddle.
See also
- Cypriot First Division top goalscorers
- List of foreign football players in Cypriot First Division
