Anorthosis chairman Christos Poullaides has made the first move towards achieving his target of creating a company to run the football club by ordering a special meeting next month.
Poullaides, who has been continuously calling for the club to follow in the footsteps of other Cypriot sides such as APOEL, Omonia and Apollon Limassol, has been tasked with getting the club back on their feet as they continue to fend off debts that are said to be within the region of between €14million to €17m. The club still owes dues in VAT, social insurance and unpaid salaries.
“Following a decision by the board of the club, an extraordinary meeting will be held on Thursday, January 9”, read a club announcement yesterday. “The meeting will aim to serve one purpose and that is to create a club company that will look to oversea the operation’s of the football department. All members are obliged to forward their suggestions to the club by Thursday, January 2.”
Anorthosis fell out of the top four last weekend after tense 3-2 defeat to title rivals Omonia at the GSP Stadium in a game which saw Dan Alexa sent off and coach Jorge Costa sent to the stands following an altercation on the touchlines with Omonia club official and former player Rainer Rauffman.
Earlier this month, Poullaides warned that the club was in danger of going under unless club officials fulfilled their promise to donate some money towards the cash-strapped refugee side.
He is not the first to call on the creation of a company. Last month, former chairman Kyriakos Kousios accused former board members and chairmen and bleeding the club dry of funds and that a company was now the only viable way forward. “We need to create a company in which 50 people get together and put in a respectable sum so we can get back on our feet. Unfortunately, I do not own a machine that can just churn out cash!”
Anorthosis made history back in 2008 when they became the first Cypriot side to reach the group stages of the Champions League. But internal squabbling as well as the departure of influential coach Temuri Ketsbaia derailed them that same year and they have yet to secure any silverware since.
The club earned just over €10m in prize money from their entry into the Champions League but that cash soon evaporated much to the frustration of the fans.
Anorthosis are currently seven points behind league leaders AEL and are away to Apollon Limassol when they return to action after the Christmas break on January 4

Cyprus Weekly