Tahsin Ozler, a Turkish Cypriot football player, is the first Turkish Cypriot player that has ever been called up to a Cyprus National Football Team.

According to Cyprus Football Association, Ozler, who plays for Omonia of Nicosia, is included in the first call-up of the coach of the Youth National Team, Arsen Mihailovic, for the preparation of the Team ahead of the qualifiers for the European Championship.

The preparation of the U19 National team begins next week with two training sessions, on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the qualifying round of the team is scheduled to begin next November.

Theodoros Theodoulou, one of the Vice-Presidents of CFA and Head of the National Teams, said on Friday that the coach of the national team Arsen Mihailovic took the decision to call up Ozler, based purely on football criteria.

“The call-up of this particular football player was made with based purely on football criteria and after a decision by the team’s coach” he said and added that this is the first call-up of a Turkish Cypriot to a national team since the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus.

Theodoulou noted that Ozler is a Cypriot citizen, holder of a Cypriot passport and has every right to be a member of a national team. “He maintains a professional contract with the men’s team of Omonia of Nicosia and from now on it is on coach to decide whether he will play in official or friendly games”, he added.