Cypriot First Division facts for kids
| Founded | 1934 |
|---|---|
| Country | Cyprus |
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Number of teams | 14 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | Cypriot 2nd Division |
| Domestic cup(s) |
|
| International cup(s) | UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa League UEFA Conference League |
| Current champions | Pafos (1st title) (2024–25) |
| Most championships | APOEL (29 titles) |
| Top goalscorer |  Sotiris Kaiafas (1967–1984)(261 goals) |
| TV partners | Cytavision Cablenet |
The Cypriot First Division is the top professional association football league in Cyprus. It is also known as the Cyprus League by Stoiximan because of its sponsor. This league is the highest level of football in the Cypriot football league system.
The Cyprus Football Association runs the league. Fourteen teams compete each season, which runs from August to May. The three teams at the bottom of the league are moved down to the Cypriot Second Division. The top three teams from the Second Division then join the First Division.
Contents
History of Cypriot Football
Football came to Cyprus in the early 1900s, brought by the British. It started in schools and quickly became very popular. Soon, many football clubs were formed.
Anorthosis Famagusta FC was one of the first clubs, started in 1911. By 1932, an unofficial Cypriot Championship began. Different clubs organized the championship each year, which sometimes caused problems.
As football grew, clubs realized they needed an official group to manage the sport. So, in September 1934, the Cyprus Football Association (CFA) was created. This led to the official Cypriot Championship and Cup starting every year. The first champions were Trust in 1935.
The 1930s were mostly won by APOEL, who won five championships in a row until 1940. Like many other sports events around the world, the Cypriot Championship stopped during World War II from 1941 to 1945.
In 1955, Çetinkaya Türk S.K. was the only Turkish Cypriot team in the league. They left the championship and, with other Turkish Cypriot teams, formed their own football group. This was due to political differences at the time. However, this new group was never officially recognized. Its teams could not play in international games.
Cyprus became an independent country in 1960. 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 Cup winners could play in the European Cup Winners Cup. Later, in 1971, the second-place teams also started playing in the UEFA Cup.
From 1967 to 1974, the Cypriot champions could even be promoted to the top league in Greece. Cypriot teams usually went back down to the Cypriot league each season. But in 1973–74, APOEL stayed in the Greek Championship. This meant Cyprus would have two teams in Greece's top league. However, because of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus that year, APOEL and Omonia (the 1973–74 Cypriot champions) had to leave the Greek League.
How the League Works
Current Game Rules
Since the 2022-23 season, 14 clubs play in the league. Teams earn points based on their game results. 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 games, the teams are split into two groups. The top 6 teams go into Group A. They play to win the league title and get spots in European competitions. The bottom eight teams go into Group B. They play to avoid being moved down to a lower league.
Group A is often called the Championship Play-offs. Group B is called the Relegation Play-offs. Teams keep their points and other stats, like how many goals they scored, when they move to these groups. In both groups, each team plays the other teams twice again. This means 10 more games for teams in Group A and 14 more games for teams in Group B.
At the end of the second round, the team that finishes first in Group A wins the league! 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 cup also finishes in the top three, then the fourth-placed team also gets a spot in the UEFA Europa Conference League. The three teams at the bottom of Group B are moved down to the Second Division.
Past Game Rules
The way the league works has changed a few times over the years. For example, from 2007–08 to 2012–13, the top 12 teams were split into three groups of four. In the 2013–14 season, the top 12 teams were split into two groups of six. The last two teams were moved down directly. Points from the first part of the season were always carried over.
How Points Are Given
The point system in the Cypriot First Division has changed over time:
- 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, it 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 point for a draw, and zero points for a loss. This is the system used today.
If two or more teams have the same number of points, they are ranked based on these rules:
- 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 whole season.
- Most goals scored across all games in the whole season.
2025–26 Clubs
| Club | Location | 2024–25 season |
|---|---|---|
| AEK Larnaca | Larnaca | 3rd |
| AEL Limassol | 8th | |
| Anorthosis | Famagusta | 7th |
| APOEL | Nicosia | 5th |
| Apollon Limassol | Limassol | 6th |
| Aris Limassol | 2th | |
| Enosis Neon Paralimni | Paralimni, Famagusta | 11th |
| Ethnikos Achnas | Achna, Famagusta | 9th |
| Omonia Aradippou | Aradippou,Larnaca | 10th |
| Omonia | Nicosia | 4th |
| Pafos FC | Paphos | 1st |
Champions of the League
| Season | Winners (number of titles) | Second Place |
|---|---|---|
| 1934–35 | Trust (1) | Çetinkaya Türk |
| 1935–36 | APOEL (1) | Trust |
| 1936–37 | APOEL (2) | |
| 1937–38 | APOEL (3) | |
| 1938–39 | APOEL (4) | EPA Larnaca |
| 1939–40 | APOEL (5) | Pezoporikos Larnaca |
| 1940–41 | AEL Limassol (1) | APOEL |
| 1941–44 | Stopped due to World War II | |
| 1944–45 | EPA Larnaca (1) | APOEL |
| 1945–46 | EPA Larnaca (2) | |
| 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) | |
| 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) | |
| 1966–67 | Olympiakos Nicosia (1) | APOEL |
| 1967–68 | AEL Limassol (5) | Omonia |
| 1968–69 | Olympiakos Nicosia (2) | |
| 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) | |
| 1977–78 | Omonia (8) | |
| 1978–79 | Omonia (9) | |
| 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) | |
| 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) | |
| 1999–2000 | Anorthosis Famagusta (11) | |
| 2000–01 | Omonia (18) | Olympiakos Nicosia |
| 2001–02 | APOEL (17) | Anorthosis Famagusta |
| 2002–03 | Omonia (19) | |
| 2003–04 | APOEL (18) | Omonia |
| 2004–05 | Anorthosis Famagusta (12) | APOEL |
| 2005–06 | Apollon Limassol (3) | Omonia |
| 2006–07 | APOEL (19) | |
| 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) | |
| 2016–17 | APOEL (26) | |
| 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 |
| 2024–25 | Pafos (1) | Aris Limassol |
Team Success: Winners and Runners-up
| Club | Winners | Second Place | 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 | 2 | 8 | 1953–54, 1987–88 |
| Trust | 1 | 3 | 1934–35 |
| Aris Limassol | 1 | 1 | 2022–23 |
| Çetinkaya Türk | 1 | 1 | 1950–51 |
| Pafos | 1 | — | 2024–25 |
| AEK Larnaca | — | 6 | – |
| Digenis Morphou | — | 1 | – |
| Enosis Neon Paralimni | — | 1 | – |
Titles won by club (%) APOEL - 29 (34.5%) Omonia – 21 (25.0%) Anorthosis - 13 (15.5%) AEL Limassol – 6 (7.1%) Apollon Limassol - 4 (4.8%) EPA Larnaca - 3 (3.6%) Olympiakos Nicosia - 3 (3.6%) Pezoporikos Larnaca - 2 (2.3%) Other Teams - 4 (4.8%)
How Many Seasons Each Club Has Played
This table shows how many seasons each club has played in the Cypriot First Division. This includes all seasons up to and including the 2023/24 season.
A total of 45 teams have played at least one season in the First Division.
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.
- Çetinkaya's total includes 12 seasons when they played as Lefkosa Turk Spor Kulubu.
- APEP Pitsilia's total includes one season when they played as APEP Limassol.
All-Time Cypriot First Division Table (1934–35 to 2017–18)
This table ranks all Cypriot football clubs based on their performance in the Cypriot First Division. The points are the total points from all seasons, even though the point system changed over time. The 1963–64 Cypriot First Division season is not included because it was stopped.
| Rank | Club | Ssn | Points | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | APOEL FC | 77 | 3227 | 1785 | 1072 | 382 | 331 | 4001 | 1787 | 2072 |
| 2 | AC Omonia | 62 | 3021 | 1628 | 1005 | 331 | 292 | 3536 | 1552 | 1984 |
| 3 | Anorthosis Famagusta FC | 72 | 2910 | 1777 | 896 | 447 | 434 | 3218 | 2044 | 1175 |
| 4 | Apollon Limassol | 59 | 2468 | 1589 | 722 | 415 | 452 | 2691 | 1946 | 745 |
| 5 | AEL Limassol | 77 | 2435 | 1791 | 740 | 440 | 611 | 2922 | 2486 | 436 |
| 6 | Nea Salamis Famagusta FC | 56 | 1790 | 1467 | 490 | 381 | 596 | 2026 | 2224 | -198 |
| 7 | Olympiakos Nicosia | 67 | 1688 | 1501 | 496 | 360 | 645 | 2243 | 2775 | -532 |
| 8 | Enosis Neon Paralimni FC | 46 | 1459 | 1253 | 426 | 365 | 462 | 1663 | 1699 | -36 |
| 9 | Pezoporikos Larnaca FC | 49 | 1432 | 1062 | 444 | 318 | 300 | 1719 | 1326 | 393 |
| 10 | Aris Limassol FC | 53 | 1287 | 1311 | 329 | 324 | 658 | 1668 | 2648 | -980 |
| 11 | EPA Larnaca FC | 50 | 1222 | 1052 | 362 | 277 | 413 | 1570 | 1641 | -71 |
| 12 | Alki Larnaca FC | 43 | 1202 | 1128 | 309 | 284 | 535 | 1400 | 1986 | -586 |
| 13 | Ethnikos Achna FC | 31 | 1078 | 895 | 296 | 219 | 380 | 1201 | 1370 | -169 |
| 14 | AEK Larnaca FC | 23 | 1039 | 675 | 295 | 154 | 226 | 1100 | 876 | 224 |
| 15 | Doxa Katokopias FC | 14 | 419 | 434 | 108 | 95 | 231 | 503 | 848 | -345 |
| 16 | APOP Paphos FC | 19 | 406 | 502 | 105 | 126 | 271 | 501 | 1007 | -506 |
| 17 | Evagoras Paphos | 18 | 371 | 480 | 90 | 136 | 254 | 431 | 906 | -475 |
| 18 | Ermis Aradippou FC | 12 | 353 | 374 | 94 | 75 | 205 | 402 | 767 | -365 |
| 19 | Digenis Akritas Morphou FC | 15 | 339 | 396 | 94 | 110 | 192 | 397 | 690 | -293 |
| 20 | AEP Paphos FC | 10 | 315 | 278 | 81 | 72 | 125 | 376 | 478 | -102 |
| 21 | Omonia Aradippou | 13 | 232 | 357 | 64 | 92 | 201 | 315 | 686 | -371 |
| 22 | Çetinkaya Türk S.K. | 18 | 189 | 209 | 77 | 35 | 97 | 393 | 503 | -110 |
| 23 | ASIL Lysi | 8 | 180 | 198 | 37 | 40 | 121 | 169 | 430 | -261 |
| 24 | APOP Kinyras FC | 5 | 161 | 148 | 44 | 29 | 75 | 201 | 275 | -74 |
| 25 | Orfeas Nicosia | 4 | 134 | 90 | 24 | 16 | 50 | 110 | 180 | -70 |
| 26 | Anagennisi Deryneia FC | 7 | 123 | 186 | 31 | 35 | 120 | 163 | 409 | -247 |
| 27 | Armenian Young Men's Association | 11 | 121 | 176 | 23 | 27 | 126 | 256 | 593 | -337 |
| 28 | APEP FC | 7 | 101 | 192 | 25 | 34 | 133 | 158 | 460 | -302 |
| 29 | Keravnos Strovolou FC | 4 | 84 | 108 | 28 | 28 | 52 | 111 | 167 | -56 |
| 30 | Pafos FC | 2 | 78 | 72 | 19 | 21 | 32 | 77 | 109 | -32 |
| 31 | Enosis Neon Trust | 4 | 68 | 44 | 30 | 8 | 6 | 129 | 54 | 75 |
| 32 | Ayia Napa FC | 4 | 64 | 110 | 12 | 28 | 70 | 90 | 218 | -128 |
| 33 | Ethnikos Assia FC | 3 | 60 | 78 | 17 | 9 | 52 | 102 | 184 | -82 |
| 34 | Chalkanoras Idaliou | 2 | 43 | 60 | 16 | 11 | 33 | 59 | 116 | -57 |
| 35 | Alki Oroklini | 1 | 39 | 36 | 11 | 6 | 19 | 48 | 73 | -25 |
| 36 | Karmiotissa FC | 1 | 37 | 36 | 10 | 7 | 19 | 47 | 71 | -24 |
| 37 | Othellos Athienou FC | 1 | 25 | 32 | 5 | 10 | 17 | 26 | 42 | -16 |
| 38 | AEK Kouklia FC | 1 | 23 | 36 | 6 | 5 | 25 | 34 | 94 | -60 |
| 39 | Onisilos Sotira | 1 | 13 | 26 | 3 | 4 | 19 | 22 | 63 | -41 |
| 40 | AEZ Zakakiou | 1 | 11 | 26 | 1 | 8 | 17 | 20 | 63 | -43 |
| 41 | Atromitos Yeroskipou | 1 | 7 | 26 | 1 | 4 | 21 | 19 | 69 | -50 |
| 42 | Enosis Neon THOI Lakatamia | 1 | 7 | 26 | 1 | 4 | 21 | 15 | 75 | -60 |
More About Cypriot Football
- Cypriot First Division top goalscorers
- List of foreign football players in Cypriot First Division
Other Websites
- Top Scorers per season
- Cypriot First Division summary – Soccerway
it:Campionato cipriota di calcio
See also
In Spanish: Primera División de Chipre para niños
