Cyprus hopes for political deal, more football

Football officials from Cyprus said Wednesday that differences between football authorities on the divided island could be settled as part of a wider political accord. FIFA has given the unofficial Turkish Cypriot Football Association (CTFA) a mid-September deadline to agree a compromise that would help end its teams' 34-year isolation from the football world. The deal depends on CTFA accepting the authority of the internationally recognized Cyprus FA, which represents the majority Greek community. Cyprus has been divided into a Turkish-dominated north and Greek-led south since 1974, when Turkey sent troops to the island following a short-lived coup staged by supporters of the union with Greece. "I think there is a good opportunity now," said Haris Loizides, vice president of the official football authority CFA. "If there is... [read full story]