Uefa alerted over GSP security concerns ahead of Omonia...

The police have expressed concern about security flaws at the GSP stadium and have confirmed that they will

officially alert Uefa before Omonia and Pafos FC play in the crucial European match.

Police have expressed worries about the stadium’s CCTV system and have rekindled the discussion about safety

regulations in Cypriot football, despite authorities’ insistence that the game can still proceed.

Kyriaki Lamprianidou, a police spokesperson, clarified that the matter is about upholding legal requirements rather

than refusing to regulate the game.

“We have already made our security preparations public and our procedures are in place. But we can’t overlook the

fact that the stadium’s CCTV system’s central server and thirty cameras aren’t working,” she said.

The police claim that the issue was initially reported weeks ago, and on January 23, an official letter was delivered to

the GSP administration, stating that they had two weeks to rectify the system. Now that deadline is past.

“When we needed camera footage, we found the problem,” Lamprianidou continued.

“What happens if something occurs during the game and we need CCTV footage? What does that leave us with?

Despite these concerns, the GSP stadium still holds a valid safety certificate, and multiple European matches have

taken place under the same conditions. However, Lamprianidou stressed that notifying Uefa was a necessary step, as

the final decision on whether the match will go ahead now rests with them.

The controversy has prompted intervention from the Cyprus sports organisation (Koa). Koa president Yiannis

Ioannou announced that the organisation has decided to provide funding to upgrade the GSP’s CCTV system. He

expressed frustration over how the issue had escalated.

“It is historic to have two Cypriot teams competing in a European tournament,” Ioannou said.

“I vehemently disagree with the recent handling of this issue. We have overstated the issue. Koa has made the choice

to fund the required improvements, and we will submit our decision to the GSP board of directors in the next fifteen

minutes.

Ioannou asked the cops to “calm down” and make sure the game goes as scheduled.

“Games have been played under the same conditions, and these minor CCTV issues have existed for a while,” he

continued. “I hope this issue is resolved here.”

What should have been a proud occasion for Cypriot football has become even more uncertain due to the

happenings, as supporters now wait to see if Uefa would object before the game begins.

Uefa alerted over GSP security concerns ahead of Omonia-Pafos clash