🔗 Share this article

Cypriot club Pafos FC prepare for their historic Champions League entry this matchday – merely 11 years following the organization’s establishment.

In recent seasons, the squad has made waves by playing continental football for the very first occasion last term, advancing to the Europa Conference League round of 16 and securing their first-ever top-flight trophy.

Now, they have reached yet one more major accomplishment by surviving three rounds of Champions League preliminaries to qualify for the group stage – joining only one other clubs, together with Kazakhstan’s outfit Kairat Almaty, to make their debut.

Israeli side Maccabi, Kyiv and Serbian giants Red Star were all beaten by Pafos during the qualifying rounds.

The prize is eight games in the group stage, with a fixture on their turf against Bayern Munich and an visit to Chelsea, starting off with a fixture in Greece against Piraeus-based club this midweek.

"Everybody celebrated wildly," commented former Brazilian and Chelsea player Luiz, who arrived at the club in last month, about the point Pafos made it.

"All of us was totally happy because we achieved something remarkable. Nobody predicted us to be in the UCL this campaign."

"I’m delighted to be here because I can witness this atmosphere, with everybody's hunger, to achieve something great."

Founded in 2014: An Overview

Pafos were formed in eleven years back when two clubs from the district combined – AEK and AEP – who themselves had been created in a merger in 2000 of additional clubs in the district.

They started in the second tier and bounced around between top flight until the 2017 purchase by Roman Dubov, a Russian businessman with dual nationality who was once as Pompey proprietor in 2011.

"The aim was evident – we aimed to build something new, something competitive, something sustainable – not just a soccer side but one that could give back to the local area," he commented in a recent interview.

"Cyprus is a place with an immense affection for soccer and, in Pafos, we were confident that we had an chance to build something from the very beginning."

Success did not come immediate triumph, though.

"The investment group have revolutionized the club, entirely. It was a side that struggled to remain in the top division."

"Across the Mediterranean, the passion is intense. So, if the side succeeds, all will go to the stadium. If the team underperforms, hardly any fans will go. You won’t find in the between."

"They have done some errors, investment that did not yield them results. They have been investing since 2017. There was some experimentation to reach this day today."

Coaches from Britain Take a Turn

Scottish Pressley, now Dark Blues boss, had 19 games in charge in 2018.

From Wales the coach had a brief spell in 2019-20.

England's Constantine led the side for eighteen matches in three years ago.

Several former Blackburn Rovers defenders had a go, too – ex- Manchester United man Berg and ex-Real Madrid defender Michel Salgado, who was SD but also had two caretaker spells.

On the field, ex-Premier League midfielder Jason Puncheon was at Pafos from 2019 until 2022.

Success Starts During Tenure of One-Time Gunners Staff

Things changed with the appointment of Spaniard Carcedo in last year. He had been Unai Emery's right-hand man at six different sides, including Arsenal.

He coached Ibiza and Zaragoza before moving to Mediterranean football.

The manager’s debut campaign in charge ended with the team’s inaugural honor – the last season’s domestic cup, with a convincing win over Omonia, who were hosting the final for the match.

The following campaign Pafos navigated three rounds of Conference League preliminaries, ending up 12th in the group stage and then securing victory in the play-off round before losing to Djurgardens in the last 16.

They concluded the season as champions of Cyprus for the first time – securing the championship by a comfortable gap and earning a route to the elite competition.

The midfielder’s stoppage-time finish in Pafos' fixture on their ground against the Serbian champions to make it a draw (3-2) confirmed their place in the main competition.

"The president of Cyprus the official is a massive Pafos FC supporter who attends the stadium."

"He watched the match. He followed it with nerves. At the conclusion he was celebrating like a youngster. He was very crazy. There was a online footage of him celebrating like a kid."

"It’s equivalent to winning the league in Cyprus, it's that significant a deal."

"It is a milestone you put next to your club’s history – one championship, a domestic cup and one elite appearance. It's a very big issue here."

'In My View It’s Possible Achieve Greatness'

This summer, Pafos pulled off the surprise signing of star David Luiz, who at the age of 38 had been with {Fortaleza|Fort