Cyprus under-19 boss Yiannos Stavrinos has raised the bar for local football by targeting a historic place for his side at the upcoming European Championships as well as for the 2015 Under-20 World Cup.
Cyprus will travel to Switzerland in May next year to take on the hosts as well as Group 3 rivals Georgia and Israel and Stavrinos believes his young players have a fighting chance to achieve a historic berth at the European Championship finals in Hungary in July.
The competition will also decide Europe’s entries for the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand.
“This is the third time in succession that the Cyprus under-19s have qualified for the Elite Round and so we will aim to go one better this time around,” Stavrinos told the Cyprus Football Association’s (CFA) official website.
“I think it is about time that we start believing we can achieve so much more from this round of the European Championships. But in order to go that extra mile, we need to work even harder and to prepare properly.”
Cyprus has only ever managed to win one game at this stage of the competition in the past and that was a historic 1-0 win over Holland. All their other games have ended in defeats albeit against very strong opponents.
But Stavrinos believes the draw has been kinder to Cyprus this time around although his side will need to finish top of their section to reach Hungary in the summer.
“Looking at our opponents, it is not as if we are against the giants of European football. But before we can eye up our opponents, we must first look at ourselves so we can be as ready as possible for what will be very tough games. As of January, we will start preparing for these games and to start studying our opponents. We will also look for more players that could perhaps help our squad.”
Cyprus needed a last gasp win over Gibraltar to book their place in the Elite Round finishing second in their group behind the Czech Republic but above third place Croatia.
“It goes without saying that the boys who got us to the Elite Round have the first word,” continued Stavrinos.
“All the players in that round did their bit for the team. But that doesn’t’ mean that their place in the squad is a given. Neither does it mean that no other player has a chance to get into the squad. Those who impress in training, in the friendlies and those with the best match fitness will be selected.”
Stavrianos has been in the unusual position, for a Cyprus coach of late, in being able to select a pool of players currently playing in the top division. They include Anorthosis attacker Andreas Makris, APOEL’s Vasilis Papafotis – who featured in his side’s recent Cyprus Cup game, Aris Limassol’s Panayiotis Constantinou, Loizos Kosmas of Enosis Neon Paralimniou as well as Alki first team players Fanos Katellaris, Andreas Frantzeskou, Pantelis Konomis and AEL Limassol bound Leandros Lillis.
“We know all of these players and of their potential. So it is especially pleasing for us to see them getting first team action. The fact that they are getting such experiences will only help their development as players.”

Cyprus Weekly