Pafos make Champions League debut after rapid rise in Cypriot football

Pafos FC will make their Champions League debut on Wednesday, becoming one of only two clubs — alongside Kazakhstan's Kairat Almaty — to appear in the competition for the first time this season. The Cypriot side advanced to the group stage by winning three rounds of qualifying, eliminating Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Dynamo Kyiv and Red Star Belgrade, and will play eight league-phase matches including fixtures against Bayern Munich and Chelsea.

The club, formed in 2014 through the merger of two local sides, secured its place in the Champions League after Jaja scored an 89th-minute equaliser at home to Red Star to make the tie 3-2 on aggregate. Pafos begin their group-stage campaign away to Olympiakos on Wednesday.

The club's rise has been rapid. After years of fluctuating between the top two divisions, Pafos changed direction following a 2017 takeover by Russian businessman Roman Dubov, who said the project sought to build a competitive and community-focused club. Investment and a series of managerial appointments followed, with mixed results until a more sustained period of success began under Spaniard Juan Carlos Carcedo.

Carcedo, formerly Unai Emery's assistant at several clubs, was appointed in June 2023. In his first season, Pafos won the 2023–24 Cypriot Cup with a 3-0 victory over Omonia and in his second season led the club to its first league title by seven points, unlocking a route into the Champions League. The team had also made its first marked impact in Europe the previous season, reaching the last 16 of the Europa Conference League.

Cypriot journalist Andreas Odysseos told the BBC World Service that the club's transformation under the ownership group, Total Sport Investment, was complete: "They have transformed the club, 100%. It was a team that struggled to stay in the top division." Odysseos said the project involved trial and error, with periods of heavy spending and changes in personnel before stability took hold.

Pafos have also pursued profile-raising signings. In August they announced the capture of former Brazil and Chelsea defender David Luiz, who at 38 left Fortaleza in Brazil to join the club. Luiz said he wanted to help develop Pafos's image as a football destination and to contribute on the pitch. He has made substitute appearances in the Cypriot top flight and is due to face his former Chelsea side in January when the two clubs meet in the group stage.

Luiz is a member of Pafos's most high-profile first-team, which combines local players, international signings and several managers from Britain who have had brief spells at the club in recent years. Steven Pressley, Cameron Toshack and Stephen Constantine are among British coaches who have taken charge at various points, while former Premiership players have featured on the coaching staff and in playing roles.

The signing drew attention beyond footballing reasons. Luiz is involved in legal proceedings in Brazil related to allegations he threatened a woman; he has denied the accusations and his representatives have said the matter is under judicial confidentiality. Pafos and the player have not made further public comment beyond statements reported in the media.

The club's Champions League presence has been celebrated across Cyprus. Odysseos said the country's president, Nikos Christodoulides, attended the decisive match against Red Star and was filmed celebrating at the final whistle. "It's like winning the league in Cyprus, it's that big a deal," Odysseos said, adding that Pafos can now count a league title, a cup and a Champions League group-stage appearance on the club's record.

Pafos's group-stage schedule offers both sporting and commercial opportunities. The club will host Bayern Munich at their home ground and travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea, fixtures that carry financial and branding benefits as well as competitive challenges. Manager Carcedo has overseen a rapid escalation in expectations, having led Pafos to domestic silverware and European progress on successive seasons.

As Pafos prepare for their opening match in Greece, the club's leadership and supporters will judge the debut not only by immediate results but by how it consolidates a decade-long project that transformed a regional side into a continental participant. The campaign will test whether recent investment, managerial continuity and higher-profile signings can translate into sustainable performance on Europe's biggest stage.

Additional reporting by Olly Foster and Mani Djazmi. Watch highlights of every Champions League game from 22:00 on Wednesday on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app, with a Champions League Match of the Day broadcast on BBC One later the same evening.