The Cyprus Sports Writers Union (EAK) recently retracted a journalism award intended for Phileleftheros journalist Fanis Makrides after pressure from the Cyprus Football Association (CFA).

The award was meant to honor Makrides’s investigative work, which exposed potential conflicts of interest involving CFA President Giorgos Koumas in TV rights deals. His reporting revealed Koumas’s involvement in multimillion-euro contracts with Cyprus’s state telecom provider through offshore companies, as well as his role in negotiating TV rights for Cyprus’s national team and APOEL, raising questions about his dual roles as both a football official and businessman.

Following the CFA’s October 22 letter expressing its discontent, EAK withdrew the award, a move that sparked public debate.

The CFA dismissed the 13-month-old investigation as defamatory, but Makrides countered, emphasizing the importance of journalistic independence and transparency. He also questioned why Koumas had not pursued legal action if the findings were false.

DISY MP Dimitris Dimitriou addressed the Cyprus Sports Writers Union cancellation in a social media post, announcing that the matter will be discussed in the House Institutions Committee. "The cancellation of two awards by EAK will be discussed by the House Institutions Committee, touching on issues of press freedom, possible intimidation by sports officials toward the EAK Board, and broader matters concerning the work environment of journalists and sports reporters in our country," Dimitriou stated.

The incident has also drawn attention from AKEL, which issued a statement denouncing widespread corruption in Cypriot football, describing it as an open secret not only among sports fans but within society at large. AKEL’s statement pointed to issues of lack of transparency, conflicts of interest, unfair competition, match-fixing, criminal offenses, and significant financial interests—all of which "create a shameful landscape for sports and the country." The party further claimed that the Cyprus Football Association (CFA) is implicated in these issues. AKEL emphasized that while journalists, investigative committees, and sports officials have been raising alarms for years, neither the previous administration nor the current one has effectively tackled the matter. AKEL accused the former government of offering empty promises under President Anastasiades and criticized the current government for turning a blind eye. "Cyprus deserves a clean, fair, and healthy football environment that honors sports and earns the trust of fans," the statement concluded.