Pafos FC: From Humble Beginnings to Champions League Debut

Tue Sep 23 2025 13:45:36 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Pafos FC, a Cypriot football team formed just 11 years ago, is set to make its Champions League debut, showcasing its incredible rise in the footballing world amidst major European rivals.

Pafos FC, founded in 2014, has quickly ascended the ranks of European football and is now making its Champions League debut after a remarkable qualifying campaign. With notable victories over teams like Red Star Belgrade, the club aims to create a memorable presence in its league phase games against giants such as Bayern Munich and Chelsea. Former Brazil defender David Luiz, who joined the club this year, is optimistic about their potential to surprise in this prestigious tournament.

Cypriot side Pafos FC will make their Champions League debut on Wednesday - just 11 years after their formation.

The club have made waves in recent years, playing in Europe for the first time last season and reaching the Conference League last 16, as well as winning their first league title.

And this season they have reached another huge milestone in coming through three rounds of qualifying to reach the Champions League proper - one of only two teams, alongside Kazakh outfit Kairat Almaty, to feature for the first time.

Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Dynamo Kyiv and Red Star Belgrade were all dispatched by Pafos through qualifying.

Their reward is eight matches in the league phase, including a home game against Bayern Munich and a trip to Chelsea, but they start with a trip to Greece to face Olympiakos on Wednesday.

Everybody was in ecstasy, former Brazil and Chelsea defender David Luiz, who joined the club in August, told BBC Sport about the moment Pafos qualified. Everybody was totally happy because we did something amazing. Nobody expected us to be in the Champions League this season.

I'm very happy to be here because I can see this feeling, with everybody's hunger, to do something great.

Formed in 2014, a brief history

Pafos were formed in 2014 when two clubs from the region merged - AEK Kouklia and AEP Paphos - who themselves had been formed in a 2000 merger of two other teams in the district.

They started in the second tier and bounced around between that and the top flight until the 2017 takeover of Roman Dubov, a Russian businessman with British citizenship.

Our vision was clear - we wanted to create something new, something competitive, something sustainable - not just a football club but one that could give back to the community, Dubov recently told Gold magazine.

There was no instant success, though. Cypriot journalist Andreas Odysseos explained that the transition involved trial and error, spending that didn't always yield results.

British managers have a crack

Pafos has had various British managers over the years, aiming to stabilize and improve the team's fortunes.

Success starts under ex-Arsenal coach

The arrival of Juan Carlos Carcedo in June 2023 marked a turning point for Pafos. His leadership led to the club's first major trophy, the 2023–24 Cypriot Cup.

By winning the league title for the first time, Pafos secured their place in the Champions League, a historic achievement for the club.

'I think we can do something special'

Luiz's signing this summer highlights the club's ambition not only to compete but to leave a mark in European football. With a solid fanbase and the excitement around their Champions League journey, Pafos hopes to maximize this opportunity. Nobody expected many things for us in the Champions League, but I think we can do something special, Luiz stated eagerly.