26th August 2026
August 26 – FC Barcelona has drawn fierce criticism in Cyprus after advertising an official Barça Academy youth football camp in the occupied northern part of the island. Listed on the club’s official website, the ‘Lefkosa Camp’ is scheduled to take place at Near East University from September 7–11 and September 16–20 under the location header ‘Lefkosa, Northern Cyprus’.
Because the breakaway entity in the north is recognised solely by Turkey and has remained under Turkish occupation since 1974, the event and its official phrasing have provoked a diplomatic and public backlash.
The Cyprus Football Association (CFA) acted immediately in consultation with UEFA. CFA President Harris Loizides dispatched an urgent letter to the President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, requesting intervention to prevent the event from taking place.
The CFA stressed that organising the camp in the occupied areas violates the existing legal and regulatory framework. The correspondence – also copied to UEFA and FC Barcelona – calls on the club to either relocate the camp to a legally compliant venue in the government-controlled territory of the Republic of Cyprus or cancel it entirely.
“As soon as the Cyprus Football Association became aware of the announcement regarding the organization of an FC Barcelona Academy training camp in the occupied areas, it immediately proceeded with the appropriate actions in consultation with UEFA,” said a CFA statement.
“Specifically, the President of the CFA, Harris Loizides, addressed the President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation in writing, requesting his intervention so that the camp does not take place in the occupied territory, as such an event contravenes the applicable legal and regulatory framework.
“As stated in the letter, FC Barcelona is requested to reconsider the organization of the event and either transfer the camp to a suitable, legally compliant location within the government-controlled areas of the Republic of Cyprus or not hold it in Cyprus at all.”
The CFA said it is closely monitoring the situation and will take further action if necessary.
The controversy has resonated deeply with Cypriot fans, many of whom feel betrayed by the giant club whose famous motto is ‘Més que un club’ (‘More than a club’).
Former transport minister Yiannis Karousos publicly announced he was severing his lifelong ties with Barcelona, emphasizing that the issue touches on displaced refugees and 52 years of occupation.
“’Més que un club’ is not a slogan. It is a responsibility,” Karousos wrote. Additionally, the ELAM party called on both the Spanish government and the Cypriot Foreign Ministry to step in.
From the opposite side of the divide, Turkish Cypriot officials accused Greek Cypriots of attempting to isolate their community from international sport. A camp coordinator defended the initiative as a purely nonpolitical event open to all children, explaining that ‘Lefkosa’ was used simply as the Turkish name for Nicosia.
However, critics maintain that the central issue is Barcelona lending its global brand to an official event in occupied territory using language that implies state recognition. As of Tuesday evening, the camp remained listed on Barcelona’s website, with the club yet to issue a formal response.
Contact the writer of this story, Aleksander Krassimirov, at [\[email protected\]](/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection)