Unknown Vandals Defaced the Statue of Makarios in Paphos

The Paphos police are searching for vandals who defaced the statue of Makarios using spray paint. A graffiti with the inscription "Koumas, die" appeared on the monument, directed against the head of the Cyprus Football Association, George Koumas.

According to Michalis Nicolaou, the Deputy Operations Director of the Paphos Police, the statue of Makarios, defaced with spray paint, was noticed by police officers passing by in a patrol car last Sunday.

The offensive wording has already been partially removed from the monument, and then a municipal team should arrive at the scene to remove the graffiti using water pressure.

According to local media reports, George Koumas, the head of the Cyprus Football Association, came under criticism after a top division game between "Nea Salamina" and "APOEL" was interrupted due to a firecracker thrown by fans from the stands, which exploded near the players. As a result of the incident, Nea Salamina player George Papageorgiou suffered hearing impairment, diagnosed by doctors. After the incident, football fans were banned from attending away matches of their teams.

In addition, George Koumas recently stated that he will not accept attempts by Turkish Cypriots to unilaterally join the international football community.