The Curious Case of Ethnikos Achna FC Champions of Europe

The Curious Case of Ethnikos Achna FC 

Champions of Europe

By Stephen Kountourou,

Up until recently, I was under the impression that no Cypriot side had ever reached the pinnacle of the European game and won an international trophy. With APOEL hitting the heights of the Champions League quarter finals in 2011/12, this was the closest any footballing side, from the Mediterranean Island, have managed to reach. At least that's what I thought. After doing some research, I came across the curious case of Cypriot side Ethnikos Achna FC, and how in 2006, they were champions of the Intertoto Cup, a competition that is now defunct and one I knew very little about. Despite this they hold the distinction of being the only side from Cyprus to 'technically' win a major UEFA competition. Why technically? Well, in this blog we will find out precisely why a side, who lack any domestic success in the First Division or the Cup, have achieved something that none of the biggest names in the Cypriot game have managed to do. I will also take a look at what exactly was the Intertoto Cup and it's rather strange format, that gave a Cypriot side the opportunity to claim bragging rights over all other teams on the Island.

Brief History Domestically and Intertoto Cup

Based in the Famagusta village of the same name, Ethnikos Achna FC were formed in 1968 and spent the first few decades of their existence in the second tier of Cypriot football. By 1983 they were finally promoted to the top division where they would mostly stay, occasionally dropping back into the second division but bouncing back a season or two later and regaining promotion. The mid 1990s to the mid 2000s is what is considered to the clubs golden era, with the Achniotes finishing 4th place in the league in the 94/95, 97/98, and 06/07 while also reaching the Cypriot Cup final in 2001/02, finishing runners up to rival Famagusta side Anorthosis. It was also in this period where Ethnikos Achna began to enter the UEFA Intertoto Cup, going to the summer tournament six times between 1998 and 2008 the final time the cup competition was held. But before I go into Ethnikos huge achievement in the 2006 edition, for those of you who do not know I will answer the question, what is the Intertoto Cup?

The tournament was founded in the 1961/62 season and for the next 30 years it remained as an independent competition until UEFA, Europe's football governing body, took over the competition in 1995. There was no direct qualification to the cup, instead as it was at the request of sides from different European leagues. This was under the condition that they did not manage to qualify for The UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Cup and the Cup Winners Cup, with the latter tournament defunct in 1999, and domestically they finished higher than any other side in their league that had also requested to enter the Intertoto Cup. The Cup would be held over the summer once the domestic leagues and other Major European competitions had ended. 

With multiple formats for the competition over the years and it being changed numerous times, I will be taking a look at the latest iteration of the Intertoto Cup as this was the one that helped Ethnikos Achnas FC become champions. As of 2006, there were three knockout rounds in the cup after which there would be a whopping eleven champions and all the co-winners would qualify for the UEFA Cup second qualifying round, giving sides another chance at reaching a major tournament. The outright winners of the Intertoto Cup, being Newcastle United in 2006, were the team who progressed further in the UEFA Cup, but with the rest still recognised as winners of the tournament as well. This is where Ethnikos Achnas FC comes in. 

A Summer to Remember 

After Finishing 9th place in the Cypriot First Division during the 2005/06 season, Ethnikos Achna, with no team placed above them requesting entrance to the Intertoto Cup, reached the summer tournament. With this being their fourth entrance into the competition, they had never made it past the first round in their first three attempts so, despite treating their fans to multiple European exploits, little was expected of the Achniotes going into yet another Intertoto Cup. Expectations however, were dramatically lifted as Ethnikos defeated first round opponents Partizani 4-2 at the Dasaki Stadium, including a hat-trick from Slovenian forward Kmetec and putting them in pole position to actually progress to the next stage. Away to the Albanian side, they were given a scare after being defeated 2-1 with Stjepanovic scoring early for the Cypriot side but Partizani coming to back to with a late winner in the 90th minute. Ethnikos were still able to scrape through the second round, 5-4 on aggregate, for the first time.

The sky was the limit for the team from Famagusta, as they played out an end to end 2-2 draw against Croatian side Osijeck having gone 1-0 up in the first two minutes, then going 2-1 down in 6 minutes in the second half, before equalising in the 70th minute. Having scored two vital away goals, Ethnikos Achna returned to Cyprus firmly in the drivers seat for the second leg at their home ground. After playing out a 0-0 draw in Achna, Ethnikos qualified for the third round and the final two games of the Intertoto Cup. 

 

Being drawn to play Israeli side Maccabi Petah Tikva, the Achniotes began the first leg away in Herzliya with a 0-2 victory once again giving themselves the best possible chance to achieve something no other Cypriot team had managed and become a champion of Europe. The return leg however did not start as planned. After an hour of play Ethnikos Achna found themselves 0-2 down and tied on away goals meaning without a reply in the form of a goal, the match would go to extra time. twelve minutes later, the Cypriot side and their fans could breathe a sigh of relief as Serbian Striker Belic scored making it 3-2 on aggregate and Cypriot midfielder Poyiatzis scoring the match equaliser and making the tie 4-2 leaving the Israeli side needing to score two goals to overturn the deficit. Although they would go on to score the match winner making it 2-3 on the night, Ethnikos Achna were the real victors, as they had become the first Cypriot side in history to win a major European competition, albeit in the strangest of circumstances. Despite there being ten other champions of Europe in the competition, it is still recognised today as a major achievement for Cypriot football with no other side able to lay claim to such a prestigious  honour.   

The Aftermath

In the events after Ethnikos amazing achievement during the summer of 2006, they would qualify for the second qualifying round of the 2006/07 UEFA Cup. After losing the first leg 2-1 to Roeselare, they came back and thumped their Belgian opponents 5-0, going through to the UEFA Cup first round 6-2 on aggregate, the first time they would participate in the competition. This sadly, would be the furthest Ethnikos would progress in Europe however, as they could not get past french side Lens, drawing the first leg in Cyprus 0-0 and succumbing to a 3-1 defeat in France and exited the UEFA Cup. Even with their departure from Europe, Ethnikos Achna FC had a season to remember. They finished 4th place in the Cypriot First Division, one of their highest ends to a league season. They were also recognised by the Sports Journalist Union of Cyprus, being awarded with the Sports Team of the Year of 2006 for their Intertoto Cup win.

In the years since, the Achniodes would reach two more Intertoto Cups in 2007 and the final iteration of the tournament in 2008. Unlike their historic run in 2006, they did not get past the first round in either year. With the Cup no longer being run after 2008, it would also coincide with the last time Ethnikos would compete in a European competition to date. They would remain in the First Division until 2018, when, after a 26 year stay, they were finally relegated to the second tier. They managed to bounce back, finishing top of the table and regaining promotion back to the first tier where, in the recently cancelled  2019/20 season they stayed up due to the season being voided. Even though they did not become champions proper of the Intertoto Cup, the side from Famagusta can always have bragging rights over their Cypriot compatriots, as they lay claim of being the only side from the small Island to be Champions of Europe. 

Hellas Football 

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