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Pafos FC
Cypriot football club

Pafos F.C. is a Cypriot professional football club based in Paphos, formed in 2014 after the merger of AEP Paphos and AEK Kouklia to strengthen regional representation. The team plays home games at the Stelios Kyriakides Stadium, which holds around 9,000 fans, and competes in the Cypriot First Division. Known for attracting international talent, Pafos FC achieved a milestone in 2024 by qualifying for the UEFA Europa Conference League, marking its debut in European football competitions.

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History

Early years (2014–2017)

Pafos FC was formed by a merger between the strongest football forces of the province of Paphos. The club's emblem includes the name of the club and town, and features the figure of Cypriot revolutionary Evagoras Pallikarides. The shape and colours of the emblem (white, blue, and gold) refer to the historical clubs of APOP and AEK Kouklia. The emblem was renewed in the 2018–19 season, making the figure of Pallikarides more visible.

On 10 June 2014, the historic building of AEP Paphos FC hosted the first gathering for the supporters of the merged team, in the presence of politicians, active and veteran football players of Paphos, and hundreds of fans. The first president of the team was Christakis Kaizer, who was previously the president of AEK Kouklia and one of the main people in the effort to create the new team together with the then six-member managing committee of AEP.

As an official home stadium for its obligations in the championship of the first division, the team uses Stelios Kyriakides Stadium (Paphiako Stadium).

The purpose of the club is to promote noble rivalry, "fair play" and culture both through sports activities and through numerous cultural and educational events, and visits to schools, and educational institutions in Paphos. The team has projected a picture of renewal and full professionalism in all departments and levels. An important event is the complete renovation of the training center to the standards of European clubs.

The team's first coach was Radmilo Ivančević, who had served as AEP Paphos's coach in the past.2

Pafos FC competed in the 2014–15 Cypriot Second Division, in their first season as a club. The first match in the club's history was against Enosis Neon Paralimni, at the Municipal Stadium of Geroskipou which was the first home stadium of the team. The team finished in second place and was promoted to the first division. In the 2015–16 season, in the first participation of Pafos FC in the first division, the team finished in 12th place and was relegated. Their first victory and the team's first overall victory in the first division came on 12 September 2015 in the third game of the league when Pafos FC defeated Aris Limassol 3–0 at home. The team finished 2nd in the Second Division and was promoted to the First Division in the 2016–17 season.34

Dubov Era (since 2017)

The following season, Pafos FC remained in the top division, finishing in 10th place under the leadership of their new owner, Total Sports Investments, managed by British businessman Roman Dubov. Changes in the club's structure, the academy's operational processes, renovation of the Pafos FC Training Center along with resounding transfers significantly raised the level of the club which now appears to be one of the most modern and well-equipped teams in Cyprus.

Since Dubov's arrival, the team's placement in the league has improved or remained constant every year, from 2018 until 2023. On 25 February 2022, a new attendance record was set for Pafos FC, as over 4661 fans came to support the club in a 1–1 home draw against Aris Limassol, which secured a place in the championship playoffs for the first time in the club's history.5 Pafos FC players were the top goalscorers of the Cypriot First Division in the 2018–19, 2022–23 and 2023–24 seasons.

On 24 June 2023, Juan Carlos Carcedo was announced as the new Head Coach of Pafos.6 In May 2024, Pafos won the Cypriot Cup, marking the club's first major honour.7

2024–25 season

The 2024–25 season was a landmark campaign for Pafos FC, highlighted by their first-ever appearance in European competition. After securing the Cypriot Cup title in the 2023–24 season—an historic first for the club—Pafos qualified for the UEFA Europa Conference League, entering the tournament in the second qualifying round and winning their first league title.

Pafos FC made their debut in the UEFA Europa Conference League during the 2024–25 season. The club entered the competition in the second qualifying round and secured a 4–2 aggregate victory over Lithuanian champions FK Žalgiris, including an impressive 3–0 win at home.8

In the first-ever meeting between two Cypriot sides in major European competitions, Pafos FC beat AC Omonia 3–2 on aggregate to reach the last 16 of the 2024-25 UEFA Conference League. 9

Pafos finished their Conference League performance of season 2024/25 with an average passing accuracy of 84.2%. 10 The team’s structured play and tactical discipline earned them praise domestically and abroad.

In the meantime, in the Cypriot First Division, Pafos continued to build on their momentum. With strong leadership from head coach Juan Carlos Carcedo, the team remained in contention for a top-three finish throughout the season, with a goal to return to European competition again in 2025–26, which was successful as they won their first ever league title and will qualify to the Champions League for the first time in their history.

Honours

TypeCompetitionTitlesSeasons
DomesticCypriot First Division12024–25
Cypriot Cup12023–24

European history

As of match played 13 March 2025
CompetitionPldWDLGFGA
UEFA Europa League200228
UEFA Conference League168262717
Total188282925
SeasonCompetitionRoundClubHomeAwayAggregate
2024–25UEFA Europa League1Q Elfsborg2–50–32–8
UEFA Conference League2Q Žalgiris3–0 (a.e.t.)1–24–2
3Q CSKA 19484–0 (a.e.t.)1–25–2
PO CFR Cluj3–00–13–1
LP Petrocub Hîncești4–112th Place
1. FC Heidenheim0–1
Astana1–0
Fiorentina2–3
Celje2–0
Lugano2–2
KPO Omonia2–11–13–2
R16 Djurgården1–00–31–3
2025–26UEFA Champions League2Q Maccabi Tel Aviv
Notes
  • 1Q: First qualifying round
  • 2Q: Second qualifying round
  • 3Q: Third qualifying round
  • PO: Play-off round
  • LP: League Phase
  • KPO: Knockout phase play-offs
  • R16: Round of 16

Domestic history

SeasonLeagueCypriot CupTop goalscorerManager
Div.Pos.Pl.WDLGSGAPNameLeague
2014–152nd2nd261952551962First Round Radmilo Ivančević Sofoklis Sofokleous
2015–161st12th3681216415836Quarterfinal Nassir Maachi11 Sofoklis Sofokleous José Manuel Roca Apostolos Makrides
2016–172nd2nd261763512457First Round Dimitris Ioannou
2017–181st10th3611916365142Semifinal Daniel Sikorski Kévin Bérigaud7 Luka Elsner Steven Pressley
2018–191st8th3212812395038Quarterfinal Adam Nemec16 Steven Pressley Željko Kopić
2019–201st7th23869262830Second Round Onni Valakari5 Željko Kopić Cameron Toshack
2020–211st7th4018913583863Second Round Onni Valakari Kévin Bérigaud13 Cameron Toshack Dmytro Mykhaylenko Stephen Constantine
2021–221st6th3211138393046Second Round Onni Valakari10 Darko Milanič Míchel Salgado (Acting Head Coach)
2022–231st4th3217127603063Semifinal Jairo18 Henning Berg Míchel Salgado (Acting Head Coach)
2023–241st5th3618810603362Champions Jairo16 Juan Carlos Carcedo
2024–251st1st362646672182Runners Up Jairo13 Juan Carlos Carcedo

Club's identity

The logo of Pafos FC is a variation of AEP Paphos's logo and a refresh of Pafos FC's first logo, including the name of the team and town and the classic figure of the Cypriot hero Evagoras Pallikaridis. The logo also includes the team's colours, blue, white, and gold.1112 The emblem was renewed during the period 2018–19, making the depiction of the hero Evagoras Pallikarides more prominent.

Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors

From 2019 to 2023, Pafos FC's kits were manufactured by Jako, marking a period of steady branding and visual identity as the club continued to grow its presence in Cypriot football.

Starting with the 2023–24 season,13 Pafos FC transitioned to Puma, both for the Main Team and for Academy, as their official kit supplier, aligning the club with a globally recognized sportswear brand. The move was seen as a step toward strengthening the club’s commercial profile and aligning with more prominent European football standards. Despite the change in kit manufacturer, the club retained its core sponsors — Korantina Homes,14 LF Group,15 and Cablenet16 — demonstrating ongoing commercial stability and sustained backing from key partners.

Players

As of 27 May 202517

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos. NationPlayer
1GK CROIvica Ivušić
2DF CYPKostas Pileas
5DF ESPDavid Goldar
7FW BRABruno Felipe
8MF PORDomingos Quina
11FW BRAJajá (on loan from Athletico Paranaense)
12MF SWEKen Sema
16MF ARGMateo Tanlongo (on loan from Sporting CP)
17FW CROMislav Oršić
19DF ARGJonathan Silva
21DF CROZvonimir Šarlija (on loan from Hajduk Split)
22FW SWEMuamer Tanković
23DF NEDDerrick Luckassen
No.Pos. NationPlayer
26MF BIHIvan Šunjić
30MF ROUVlad Dragomir
32DF MARMehdi Boukamir (on loan from Sporting Charleroi)
33FW BRAAnderson Silva (on loan from Alanyaspor)
70FW CYPMarios Ilia
77DF CPVJoão Correia
80MF CYPChristos Efzona
81MF CYPGiorgos Kolotas
84FW GNBKevin Nhaga
88MF PORPêpê
93GK CYPNeofytos Michail
99GK GREAthanasios Papadoudis

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos. NationPlayer
DF RUSKhetag Kochiyev (at Rodina Moscow until 30 June 2025)
MF GUIMamadou Kané (at Auda until 30 June 2025)
MF FINOnni Valakari (at San Diego until 31 December 2025)
No.Pos. NationPlayer
MF PORPedro Pelágio (at Chaves until 30 June 2025)
MF SENMoustapha Name (at CFR Cluj until 30 June 2025)
FW GHAPatrick Twumasi (at Beitar Jerusalem until 30 June 2025)

Current staff

Senior Management
Vice President George Ioannou
CEO Charis Theocharous
COO Rustam Khafizov
Sporting Director Cristiano Giaretta
Head Scout Rodolfo Filipe Aniceto Vaz
Senior Scout Pedro Henrique
CFA Representative Filippos Georgiou
Technical staff
Head Coach Juan Carlos Carcedo
Assistant Coach Sergio Domínguez Cobo
Assistant Coach Sebastián Corona
Goalkeeping Coach Silvije Čavlina
Head Analyst Andreas Kattamis

Records

Most appearances

As of match played 24 May 2025
NameYearsLeagueCypriot CupSuper CupEuropeTotal
1 Jairo2021–2025127 (55)16 (4)1 (0)18 (1)162 (60)
2 Onni Valakari2020–Present136 (40)15 (6)- (-)7 (0)158 (46)
3 Vlad Dragomir2021–Present117 (12)14 (2)1 (0)18 (3)150 (17)
4 Josef Kvída2020–2025124 (4)11 (0)0 (0)1 (0)136 (4)
5 Muamer Tanković2022–Present96 (28)14 (2)1 (0)18 (4)129 (34)
6 Ivica Ivušić2023–Present79 (0)14 (0)1 (0)17 (0)111 (0)
7 Bruno Felipe2023–Present76 (5)9 (0)1 (0)18 (1)104 (6)
8 Moustapha Name2022–Present69 (6)11 (1)1 (0)12 (1)93 (8)
9 Pêpê2023–2024, 2024–Present61 (3)10 (2)1 (0)14 (0)86 (5)
10 David Goldar2023–Present58 (9)8 (1)1 (0)17 (2)84 (12)

Top goalscorers

As of match played 24 May 2025
NameYearsLeagueCypriot CupSuper CupEuropeTotalRatio
1 Jairo2021–202555 (127)4 (16)0 (1)1 (18)60 (162)0.37
2 Onni Valakari2020–Present40 (136)6 (15)- (-)0 (7)46 (158)0.29
3 Muamer Tanković2022–Present28 (96)2 (14)0 (1)4 (18)34 (129)0.26
4 Kévin Bérigaud2018–202222 (68)2 (3+)- (-)0 (-)24 (71+)0.34
5 Adam Nemec2018–202017 (42)5 (6)- (-)0 (-)22 (48)0.46
6 Vlad Dragomir2021–Present12 (117)2 (14)0 (1)3 (18)17 (150)0.11
6 Anderson Silva2024–Present11 (35)3 (5)0 (1)3 (16)17 (57)0.3
8 Nassir Maachi2015–201611 (31)2 (1)- (-)0 (-)13 (32)0.41
9 David Goldar2023–Present9 (58)1 (8)0 (1)2 (17)12 (84)0.14
10 Daniel Sikorski2017–20187 (28)4 (?)- (-)0 (-)11 (28+)0.39
10 Brayan Angulo2018–2019 2020–202110 (45)1 (5)- (-)0 (-)11 (50)0.22
10 Jajá2024–Present6 (43)1 (7)0 (1)4 (16)11 (67)0.16

Managers

As of match played 24 May 2025
Manager nameFromToDurationPWDLWin %
Radmilo Ivančević1 July 201414 October 2014105 days
Sofoklis Sofokleous1 November 20149 November 20151 year, 8 days
José Manuel Roca17 November 201514 December 201527 days
Apostolos Makridis16 December 201531 May 2016167 days
Dimitris Ioannou14 June 201631 May 2017351 days
Luka Elsner30 June 201721 January 2018205 days23661126.09
Steven Pressley31 January 20189 October 2018251 days2285936.36
Željko Kopić19 October 20186 November 20191 year, 18 days4116111439.02
Jeremy Steele (Caretaker)6 November 201913 December 201937 days531160
Cameron Toshack13 December 20191820 October 202019312 days2185838.1
Dmytro Mykhaylenko20 October 20202031 January 202121103 days1645725
Stephen Constantine4 February 20212230 June 202123146 days18122466.67
Darko Milanič30 June 20212410 May 202225314 days331114833.33
Míchel Salgado (Caretaker)14 May 20222622 May 20228 days210150
Henning Berg11 June 2022273 April 202328296 days331711551.52
Míchel Salgado (Caretaker)3 April 202324 June 202382 days933333.33
Juan Carlos Carcedo24 June 2023291 year, 359 days10158182557.43

References

  1. "El Paphos de Carcedo entra en otra dimensión: "Debemos ser humildes"". AS (in Spanish). Diario AS. 2024-08-01. Retrieved 2025-03-25. https://as.com/futbol/migrantes_del_balon/el-paphos-de-carcedo-entra-en-otra-dimension-debemos-ser-humildes-n/

  2. ΣΥΜΦΩΝΙΑ ΜΕ ΡΑΤΜΙΛΟ ΙΒΑΝΤΣΕΒΙΤΣ (in Greek). pafosfc.com.cy. 3 July 2014. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014. ΣΥΜΦΩΝΙΑ ΜΕ ΡΑΤΜΙΛΟ ΙΒΑΝΤΣΕΒΙΤΣ

  3. "Cypriot Second Division - Participating and promoted teams per season". 2016-06-24. Archived from the original on 2016-06-24. Retrieved 2023-06-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20160624112215/http://www.rsssf.com/tablesc/cyp2all.html

  4. "lucky88". Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230606081223/https://lucky8877.info/

  5. "ΤΟΣΟΙ στην Πάφο!". Balla.com.cy. 2022-02-25. Archived from the original on 2022-03-02. Retrieved 2022-08-16. https://balla.com.cy/2022/02/25/tosoi-stin-pafo/

  6. "PAFOS FC NEW HEAD COACH – Juan Carlos Carcedo". pafosfc.com.cy. Pafos FC. 24 June 2023. Archived from the original on 25 June 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023. https://pafosfc.com.cy/8606-2/

  7. Καρτσάκης, Νίκος (18 May 2024). "Ομόνοια - Πάφος 0-3: Έγραψαν ιστορία οι Παφίτες, κατακτώντας το πρώτο Κύπελλο της ιστορίας τους". gazzetta.gr (in Greek). Retrieved May 19, 2024. https://www.gazzetta.gr/football/kypello-kyproy/2335253/omonoia-pafos-0-3-egrapsan-istoria-oi-pafites-kataktontas-proto

  8. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/live/c10l1yz094gt https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/live/c10l1yz094gt

  9. https://cyprus-faq.com/en/south/news/pafos-obygral-omoniyu-v-pervom-kiprskom-derbi-ligi-konferentsii/ https://cyprus-faq.com/en/south/news/pafos-obygral-omoniyu-v-pervom-kiprskom-derbi-ligi-konferentsii/

  10. https://www.uefa.com/uefaconferenceleague/clubs/2609532--pafos/ https://www.uefa.com/uefaconferenceleague/clubs/2609532--pafos/

  11. "Πάφος FC: Με διαγωνισμό το έμβλημα του νέου σωματείου". sentragoal.philenews.com. 3 June 2014. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140808044924/http://sentragoal.philenews.com/article.asp?catid=19171&subid=2&pubid=129747729

  12. "Δείτε το νέο έμβλημα της Πάφος F.C!". protathlima.com. 7 June 2014. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014. http://protathlima.com/index.php?id=63174

  13. @pafosfcofficial (2023-07-13). "We are proud to announce the continuation of our cooperation with Korantina Homes as the Official Main Sponsor of Pafos FC" (Tweet). Retrieved 2025-03-25 – via Twitter. https://x.com/pafosfcofficial/status/1679850187865423873

  14. https://pafosfc.com.cy/pafos-fc-reaches-record-breaking-deal-with-korantinahomes-contract-extended-for-5-years/ https://pafosfc.com.cy/pafos-fc-reaches-record-breaking-deal-with-korantinahomes-contract-extended-for-5-years/

  15. https://www.lf-group.com/blog https://www.lf-group.com/blog

  16. https://pafosfc.com.cy/pafos-fc-cablenet-until-2027/ https://pafosfc.com.cy/pafos-fc-cablenet-until-2027/

  17. "Our Team – PAFOS FC". pafosfc.com.cy. https://pafosfc.com.cy/team/

  18. "Cameron Toshack". pafosfc.com.cy/. Pafos FC. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 26 December 2020.[permanent dead link] https://pafosfc.com.cy/archives/3788

  19. "CONTRACT TERMINATION WITH CAMERON TOSHACK". pafosfc.com.cy/. Pafos FC. 20 October 2020. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201030210319/https://pafosfc.com.cy/archives/4784

  20. "DMYTRO MYKHAYLENKO – nEW HEAD COACH". pafosfc.com.cy/. Pafos FC. 20 October 2020. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201101042211/https://pafosfc.com.cy/archives/4790

  21. "CONTRACT TERMINATION WITH DMYTRO MYKHAILENKO". pafosfc.com.cy/. Pafos FC. 31 January 2021. Archived from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210131181219/https://pafosfc.com.cy/archives/4984

  22. "STEPHEN CONSTANTINE / NEW HEAD COACH OF PAFOS FC". pafosfc.com.cy/. Pafos FC. 4 February 2021. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210204163835/https://pafosfc.com.cy/archives/5039

  23. "END OF CONTRACT WITH STEPHEN CONSTANTINE". pafosfc.com.cy/. Pafos FC. 30 June 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.[permanent dead link] https://pafosfc.com.cy/archives/5224

  24. "DARKO MILANIC APPOINTED AS HEAD COACH". pafosfc.com.cy/. Pafos FC. 30 June 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.[permanent dead link] https://pafosfc.com.cy/archives/5229

  25. "Darko Milanic has been relieved of his duties as Pafos FC Head Coach, effective immediately". facebook.com/fcpafos. FC Pafos Facebook. 10 May 2022. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022. https://www.facebook.com/fcpafos/photos/a.387331934794665/1953747004819809/?type=3&theater

  26. "Pafos FC football advisor Michel Salgado will be in charge for the last two games of the season as an Interim Head Coach". facebook.com/fcpafos. FC Pafos Facebook. 14 May 2022. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022. https://www.facebook.com/fcpafos/photos/a.387331934794665/1956795487848294/?type=3&theater

  27. "HENNING BERG JOINS PAFOS FC AS NEW HEAD COACH". pafosfc.com.cy. Pafos FC. 11 June 2022. Archived from the original on 24 June 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022. https://pafosfc.com.cy/henning-berg-joins-pafos-fc-as-new-head-coach/

  28. "PAFOS FC: HENNING BERG RELIEVED OF DUTIES". facebook.com/pafosfc/. Pafos FC Facebook. 3 April 2023. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=699706278821584&set=a.520584076733806&locale=en_GB

  29. "PAFOS FC NEW HEAD COACH – Juan Carlos Carcedo". pafosfc.com.cy. Pafos FC. 24 June 2023. Archived from the original on 25 June 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023. https://pafosfc.com.cy/8606-2/