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29 March 2024

Jorge Costa to coach AEL of Cyprus

Published
By AFP

Former Portuguese international Jorge Costa has taken over the reins at Cyprus champions AEL Limassol ahead of a crunch Europa League tie with Fenerbahce, the club announced on Wednesday.

The 41-year-old replaces Cypriot coach Pambos Christodoulou who was let go on Monday by mutual consent just days before the clash with the Turkish side.

Costa - a former Porto defender who played 50 times for Portugal - will now be in charge for one of the biggest games in AEL's history when they play Fenerbahce in Nicosia on Thursday night.

AEL announced on its website that Costa had signed a two-year that lasted until the end of the 2013-14 season.

Cypriot Christodoulou, 45, led the team to a slender 2-1 league win against Salamina at the weekend but was ousted amid speculation of a rift between him and the board.

A brief statement on AEL's website said the board had "ended its cooperation by mutual consent with the team's coach and his technical staff".

Although it did not elaborate on the reasons for his departure, the club "warmly thanked" Christodoulou for his contribution in winning the title and "bringing joy" to the fans.

Christodoulou took AEL to their first league title for 44 years last season but failed to make it to the Champions League group stage after losing to Anderlecht at the last hurdle.

AEL are fourth in the table following a string of below-par performances.

In their last Europa League outing AEL were hammered 5-1 away to French club Marseille that followed a credible 0-0 home draw with German side Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Due to the political situation in Cyprus - Turkish troops occupy the island's northern third since 1974 following a failed coup engineered by Greece to unify Athens with Nicosia - the match takes on wider significance for Cypriots.

Turkey are the only state which does not recognize the Greek Cypriot government of divided Cyprus which means sporting contact between the two countries at any level is rare.

There will be over 300 police on duty for Thursday's tie to ensure the game passes without incident while 1,400 Turkish Cypriot football fans are expected to cross the island's divide to watch the spectacle at Nicosia's GSP stadium.

All fans have been warned to be on their best behaviour and avoid political slogans, banners or antagonistic attitudes that could inflame an already sensitive situation.

The club and the authorities are determined that the game will pass without incident, especially with a return match in Turkey to come.