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The Cypriot First Division ( el, Πρωτάθλημα Α΄ Κατηγορίας) is the top tier football league competition in Cyprus, run by the
Cyprus Football Association The Cyprus Football Association (CFA; el, Κυπριακή Ομοσπονδία Ποδοσφαίρου (ΚΟΠ), Kypriakí Omospondía Podosfaírou (KOP)) is the governing body of football (soccer), football in Cyprus and is based in Nicosia. It ...
. Since February 2016, it is sponsored by
Cyta CYTA Ltd. (; short for "Cyprus Telecommunication Authority"; gr, Αρχή Τηλεπικοινωνιών Κύπρου (ΑΤΗΚ), ''Archí Tilelikoinonión Kýprou (ATIK)'' ) is a telecommunication provider in Cyprus. The Cyprus Telecommunicat ...
and is thus officially known as the Cyta Championship. The league is contested by 14 teams and runs from August to May, with the three lowest-placed teams being relegated to the
Cypriot Second Division The Cypriot Second Division ( el, Πρωτάθλημα Β΄ Κατηγορίας) is the second highest football division of the Cypriot football league system. Administrated by the Cyprus Football Association, it is contested by 16 teams, with th ...
, and replaced by the top three teams in that division.


History

Football was introduced to Cyprus early in the 20th century by the British. Initially played in the island's schools, it proved hugely popular and a number of clubs were duly formed. Since 1911, when
Anorthosis Famagusta FC Anorthosis Famagusta ( el, Ανόρθωση Αμμοχώστου, translit=Anorthosi Ammochostou), commonly known as Anorthosis in English or Anorthosi in Greek, is a Cypriot football club, part of the Anorthosis Famagusta multi-sport club fo ...
was founded, many clubs were established and in 1932 the Cypriot Championship began annually at first unofficially. Every season, the championship was organized by a different football club which caused some conflicts between some of the teams. As football became more established, the clubs were united in agreeing that an official body was needed to regulate the sport. And in September 1934, the
Cyprus Football Association The Cyprus Football Association (CFA; el, Κυπριακή Ομοσπονδία Ποδοσφαίρου (ΚΟΠ), Kypriakí Omospondía Podosfaírou (KOP)) is the governing body of football (soccer), football in Cyprus and is based in Nicosia. It ...
(CFA) was formed and the Cypriot Championship and Cup began to take place annually. The first Champions of Cyprus were
Trust Trust often refers to: * Trust (social science), confidence in or dependence on a person or quality It may also refer to: Business and law * Trust law, a body of law under which one person holds property for the benefit of another * Trust (bus ...
in 1935 but the club folded three years later. The 1930s were dominated by
APOEL APOEL FC ( el, ΑΠΟΕΛ; short for Αθλητικός Ποδοσφαιρικός Όμιλος Ελλήνων Λευκωσίας, ''Athletikos Podosferikos Omilos Ellinon Lefkosias'', literally "Athletic Football Club of Greeks of Nicosia") ...
, who won five championship in a row until 1940. Like other Championships in the World, the Cypriot Championship was interrupted, due to World War II from 1941 until 1945. The Cypriot Championship unification, lasted for only two seasons. In 1955, Çetinkaya Türk S.K., who had been the only Turkish Cypriot team playing in the Cypriot First Division since 1934–35, withdrew from the Championship and with other Turkish Cypriot teams, established the
Cyprus Turkish Football Federation The Cyprus Turkish Football Association ( tr, Kıbrıs Türk Futbol Federasyonu, KTFF) is the governing body of Association football, football in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Established on 29 October 1955, during British Cyprus (187 ...
, with its own competitions. The reason behind this was political, as the Turkish Cypriots were opposed to the anticolonial struggle of EOKA and union with Greece ( Enosis). However, this Federation was never recognized and no team of that federation could play in international competitions. The independence of Cyprus in 1960, was followed by full membership for the Cyprus Football Association to UEFA in 1962. From 1963, the champions of the Cyprus, could compete in the European Champions Cup and the Cup winners in the
European Cup Winners Cup The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The cup was, chronologically, the second seasonal inter-European club competition organised by UEFA. The tourna ...
. Since 1971, the runners up in the Greek Cypriot First Division can compete in the UEFA Cup. From 1967 until 1974, the Greek Cypriot Champions were promoted to the Greek First National Division. Greek Cypriot teams were relegated every season from the Alpha Ethniki, apart from 1974, when APOEL managed to remain in the Greek Championship which meant that Cyprus would have two teams in Alpha Ethniki. However, due to the
Turkish invasion of Cyprus The Turkish invasion of Cyprus began on 20 July 1974 and progressed in two phases over the following month. Taking place upon a background of intercommunal violence between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, and in response to a Greek junta-s ...
that year, APOEL and Omonia (the champion of Cyprus for 1974) withdrew from the League.


Format


Current format

As of the 2022-23 season, 14 clubs compete in the league, and are ranked based on the Point System, as described below. Each club plays the other sides twice, home and away, for a total of 26 games for each club. This is referred to as the first round of the league. In the second round, the teams are divided into two groups; The teams ranked 1st to 6th play-off for the title and European spots in Group A, while the bottom eight teams battle to avoid relegation in Group B. Group A is often referred to as the Championship Play-offs, while Group B is referred to as the Relegation Play-offs. Each team's points and criteria such as goal difference, goals scored, etc. are retained during the transition from first to second round. Similarly to the first round, every club plays the other sides twice, for a total of 10 or 14 games for each club, in Group A or Group B respectively. At the end of the second round, the club ranked 1st in Group A is declared the winner of the league. The champion qualifies for the
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
, while the second and third placed teams enter the
UEFA Europa Conference League The UEFA Europa Conference League (abbreviated as UECL) is an annual football club competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. Clubs qualify for the competition based on thei ...
. If the cup winners finish in third or above, the fourth placed team also enters the
UEFA Europa Conference League The UEFA Europa Conference League (abbreviated as UECL) is an annual football club competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. Clubs qualify for the competition based on thei ...
. Meanwhile, the bottom three teams in Group B are relegated to the
Second Division In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...
.


Previous formats

From 2007–08 until 2012–13 season, in the second round the first 12 (out of 14) teams were separated into three groups of four teams according to their position at the end of the first round. For the 2013–14 season, in the second round the first 12 (out of 14) teams were separated into two groups of six teams according to their position at the end of the first round. The last two teams of the first round were relegated directly to the B1 Division and the bottom two teams of the relegation group also. The points from the first round were carried to the second round and the teams played each other twice.


Point System

The point system of the Cypriot First Division has changed throughout the years: # From 1934–35 until 1959–60, teams were awarded two points for a win, one point for a draw and zero points for a defeat. # From 1960–61 until 1969–70, teams were awarded three points for a win, two points for a draw and one point for a defeat. # From 1970–71 until
1990–91 Year 199 ( CXCIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was sometimes known as year 952 '' Ab urbe condita''. The denomination 199 for this year has been used since t ...
, teams were awarded two points for a win, one point for a draw and zero points for a defeat. # Since the 1991–92 season, teams are awarded three points for a win, one point for a draw and zero points for a defeat. In the event that two or more teams have the same amount of points, they are ranked based on: # Points gained in games between the teams, in both rounds. # Goal difference in games between the teams, in both rounds. # Most away goals scored in games between the teams, in both rounds. # Goal difference across all games, in both rounds. # Most goals scored across all games, in both rounds.


2022–23 Clubs


Champions


Performances


Performance by club


Appearances in the top division

The below table indicates the total number of seasons each club has participated in the Cypriot First Division, up to and including the 2022/23 season. 44 teams have played at least one season in First Division. Teams in bold are participating in the 2022-23 Cypriot First Division. * The 1963–64 Cypriot First Division, where the championship was abandoned, is not included in the table. * Çetinkaya total includes 12 when competing as Lefkosa Turk Spor Kulubu * APEP Pitsilia total includes one as APEP Limassol


All-time Cypriot First Division table (1934–35 until 2017–18)

The All-time Cypriot First Division table is a ranking of all Cypriot football clubs based on their performance in the Cypriot First Division. The points are the sum of the points of all seasons, despite the point system of the season. The 1963–64 Cypriot First Division season is not included because the championship was abandoned.


See also

* Cypriot First Division top goalscorers * List of foreign football players in Cypriot First Division


References


Bibliography

*


External links


Top Scorers per seasonCypriot First Division summary
- Soccerway {{UEFA leagues 1934 establishments in Cyprus Top level football leagues in Europe 1 Sports leagues established in 1934 it:Campionato cipriota di calcio