Cyprus First Division 2020/21 Season Prediction

Cyprus First Division 2020/21 Season Prediction

By Steve Kountourou,

As COVID 19 disrupted football all over the globe, Cyprus was one of the unlucky countries that decided to abandon the 19/20 season.

The Cyprus FA decided there would be no relegation and no Champion, European places for each side, naturally, were given to the sides in the positions they finished up in when the league was initially grounded to a halt.

The Cyprus FA have, however, expanded the league from 12 to 14 teams with Ermis Aradippou and Karmiotissa promoted from the second tier. So this means that once the league split in two, both the Championship and Relegation Rounds will still have six teams apiece while 13th and 14th are automatically relegated This makes the new 2020/21 season all the more interesting.

Not only for the fight for the title and the European places, but for the sides that have been given a second shot at staying up in the first tier, when they maybe should have been relegated under normal circumstances.

So, in this blog, I will be focusing on my prediction for the new 2020/21 Cyprus First Division season, primarily on who will finish in the Championship round table, once the league splits in two. Although the top six is what I shall be looking at in greater detail I will also give my thoughts on the relegation round and possible teams that could win promotion as well.

Much like my previous blog's, bear in mind that this is my opinion. If anyone has any differing thoughts on the future events of the Cypriot football league season.

I'd love to hear your opinions in the comments.   

6th AEL Limassol

Much like last season, I do not think there will be many surprises for who will finish in the top six and AEL Limassol finishing 6th is no exception. Having fallen behind in recent years in challenging for the league title, AEL need to build on a squad capable of reaching the heights they once reached in the early 2010s, although they did win the Cypriot Cup in 18/19.

Having done what is traditional in Cypriot football with a revolving door of players arriving and departing, AEL have set themselves up for another comfortable finishing along with the other big sides on the Island, thanks to the bolstering of the squad in practically every position. Most notably Brazilian attacking midfield Danilo from Dinamo Minsk, Portuguese midfielder Leandro Silva from Arouca and Vasilios Papafotis from Doxa Katokopias. With no Europe to worry about during the season, there is every chance they can finish higher and maybe even try to finish above their rivals Apollon, but for me AEL will slug it out with other sides vying to steal that final Championship Round place, and end up finishing 6th by the end of the full season.

5th Apollon Limassol

AEL rivals, Apollon Limassol, are the first club involved in European football that I will be talking about. Despite starting in the first qualifying round of the Europa League they have themselves a very good chance of getting through to the group stage.

Apollon have already made the acquisition of former Aris forward Nicolas Diguiny to increase the Limassol sides attacking options This however, could be doubled edged sword for the Kiano-Lefki as, unlike the uncompleted 19/20 season, they were able to maintain 4th with no more games being played, a full season plus Europa League nights during the start and possibly throughout the campaign could disrupt their early form domestically.

I predict Apollon to just miss out on the Europa League for 21/22 but with the introduction of the UEFA Conference League, will be one of the first two Cypriot sides to ever play in UEFA's Third competition. 

4th AEK Larnaka

My local first tier side, for when I make a beeline for Larnaka on holiday practically every year, AEK, for me, have always been the nearly men in Cypriot football. They came close in the last few years to overthrowing APOEL for the Cypriot title, having been runners up in 14/15, 15/16, 16/17, and 18/19. Despite winning the Cypriot Cup in 2018, fans of AEK can consider themselves very unlucky that they are yet to see their side win a league title.

Last season as a bit of a drop off for the Kitrinoprasinoi as, despite having the league top scorer, Ivan Trichkovski, they finished 5th place and missed out on a European place. AEK, have already made two solid signings in Cypriot internationals, Andreas Markis from APOEL and Serbian born midfielder Matija Spoljaric from Apollon Limassol, their fascinating blend of Spanish and Cypriot players, and with no European football this season, might just be enough to get them over the line.

I think that AEK will finish 4th, and a UEFA Conference League place for 2021/22.  

3rd Omonia

Much like many neutrals, and probably manager Henning Berg, I felt as though Omonia was very hard done by. With the postponement and then further abandonment of the league, due to circumstances beyond their control, the Nicosia side finished last season top of the league but were not crowned champions, which would have been their first title since 2009/10.

They were however, given Champions League football due to their League position in which they have already reached the second qualifying round. With experienced players, including veteran striker Matt Derbyshire departing the club, Omonia have sought to strengthen their forward line with Slovakian forward Michal Duris, former Anorthosis winger Fotis Papoulis and Ghanaian winger Ernest Asante.

This prediction of their league finish is rather similar to the likes of Apollon, in that I am under the assumption that Omonia, at the very least, will be playing Europa League football throughout the first half of the season. This, along with a demanding league campaign, will affect where they finish and despite them possibly proving me wrong and finishing lower, or maybe even mounting a second title challenge, I believe that they will finish 3rd and in Cyprus sole Europa League place for 2021/22.   

3rd APOEL 

Let's not beat about the bush, this is a controversial opinion on my part. APOEL have won every domestic title since 2012/13, baring last season where they finished 3rd due to abandonment of the league.

If the Cypriot First Division was able to continue with a natural end to the season in 19/20 there was every chance that the former champions could have pulled it back to retain the title. They have signed players from fairly big sides with wingers Dieumerci Ndongala and Omer Atzili from Genk and Maccabi Tel Aviv respectively and forward Ben Sahar who has already scored on his debut.

But considering they are in the Europa League this season and the strengthening of all the teams around them, I am going to put APOEL in 2nd place. They will get consolation of a Champions League qualifying place for next season however, and despite them probably being the favourites to win the league this season, they are not my pick for top spot.

1st Anorthosis Famagusta 

Much like me putting APOEL in 2nd and potentially embarrassing myself, I am going to make a very left field call and say Anorthosis Famagusta will win the 20/21 season and be crowned champions for the first time since 2007/08.

Despite having one of the older squads on average in Cyprus at 28 years old, they have further strengthened their side with the addition of Greek Striker Michalis Minas, who is looking to prove himself after a rather poor season in Poland with Pogoń Szczecin, Czech Midfielder Josef Hušbauer who has title winning experience with both Sparta and Slavia Prague in his native home and goal scoring Cameroon winger Charles Elmoundou from rivals Nea Salamina.

Despite Anorthosis also having to participate in Europe at the beginning of the season I believe that this is the side that can break the trend that has plagued Cyprus football and officially end APOEL's hot streak and be crowned champions.

Relegation for some, promotion for others 

To finish I will be taking a look at the sides who I think will be relegated and who will be promoted. Unlike last season, relegation will return the Cyprus First Division but rather than two teams facing the drop four sides are going down this season with only two sides promoted, returning the Cyprus First tier to its normal format for 21/22.

I will start with the sides that I think will be automatically relegated at the end of the regular season and it is very hard to look past the sides that were promoted last season, Karmiotissa FC and Ermis Aradippou. Despite the former getting an impressive 2-2 draw with APOEL in the first game of the season I struggle to see how either side will be able to maintain consistency in what will be an even more competitive fight to stay up.

The last two relegation spots will be a bit more of an interesting exchange. Ethnikos Achna, Enosis Neon Paralimni  and Doxa Katokopias were the three sides last season duking it out to avoid the drop last season, with Doxa and Achna finishing in the bottom two. I think it will be much the same this season, as the lack of relegation was a god send for any of these three sides in 19/20. Two of these three for me will be the ones to go down. I am predicting that despite holding their own until the Relegation round, it will be Enosis and Doxa that are relegated this season with Ethnikos just about doing enough to stay up.

With no teams going down in 19/20, it is probably one of the most open ended Second Division seasons in Cyprus. However I think that my favourites for promotion this campaign will be Aris Limassol and Ayia Napa, with outside shouts to Omonia Aradippou and my local side Alki Oroklini.

Hellas Football

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