Dighenis Morphou
Digenis Akritas Morphou is a Cyprus sports club from Morphou, founded on April 23 1931. The club takes its name from the medieval Greek hero Digenis Akritas who is depicted on the club's emblem. It currently has a soccer and a basketball team.
As the club did not have access to a suitable stadium, the football team was not able to play in an official league of the Cyprus Football Federation until 1968, when it joined the second division. The team was promoted to the first division after the 1969-70 season. After finishing second in the Cypriot First Division in 1971, qualified for the UEFA Cup competition and was knocked out by AC Milan (lost 4–0 and 3–0) UEFA Cup 1971-72. Following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, the team was displaced to the southern part of the island, where they currently play in exile. This upheaval brought a downturn in fortunes, and the team loitered in the lower divisions until the 1999–2000 season, when they again earned promotion to the top division. 2005 also brought success in the Cypriot Cup, in which they reached the final of the competition only to lose 2–0 to AC Omonia.
Digenis also has an active basketball team. They won the top division championship twice, in 1967 and 1968.
Digenis Akritas Morphou is one of the oldest sport clubs in Cyprus. It was established on April 23, 1931 under the full name of "Mousikofilologikos ke Athlitikos Sillogos Digenis Akritas Morfou". The club started off with 61 members but it soon reached 400. Its first executive panel was comprised by Stavros Geroudis, Christos Koumeras, Christakis Yiallourides, Pantelis Tsiapparis, Melis Hatzhiloizou, and Charalambos Odisseos. In addition to its athletic activities the club was very active in organizing cultural events in the area of Morphou.
After its establishment Digenis sets up its first football team. Due to the absence of an appropriate stadium in Morphou the team cannot enter the official league of the Cyprus Football Federation. In 1968, however, Digenis (along with the other football club from Morphou, AEM) is admitted in the Second Division. From its first year in the league Digenis shows its potentials by finishing in the second place (with Enosis Neon Paralimniou being the champions that year). The dream comes true the following year. In the 1969-70 season Digenis becomes the champions and is promoted to the First Division.
With Kostas Talianos being the manager, manages a great achievement from its first year in the First Division. Digenis rises up above the big teams of that time (APOEL, Omonoia, Anorthosis, AEL etc) to finish up in the second place of the league (with Olympiakos being the champions). The greatest moment in the history of the club is written as Digenis participates in the UEFA cup and plays in "San Siro" stadium against the mighty A.C Milan (0-3).
The golden era of Digenis soon comes to an end. The Turkish invasion of Cyprus of 1974 and the subsequent occupation of Morphou leaves Digenis with no home, no financial resources, and no stadium. Its members are scattered all around Cyprus trying to start their lives from the beginning. Despite the terrible situation the clubs falls into, it manages to hold for another 4 years before going back to the Second Division. The clubs continues to struggle but soon falls further down and into the Third Division.
In the recent years the club started to do better and its football team played in the Second Division for a number of years. The hard work of the executive panel and the president of Digenis Mr. Andreas Dionisiou has finally paid off. With Yiorgos Savvides being the manager this past season (1999-2000) Digenis managed to win the Second Division championship.
Former Players
- Arthur Voskanyan
- Stelios Achilleos
- Kyriacos Chailis
- Adamos Efstathiou
- Georgios Eleftheriou
- Vincent Laban
- Dieudonné Londo
- Georgios Nasiopoulos
- Georgios Papandreou
- Savvas Poursaitidis
- Nikos Katsavakis
- Zoltán Nagy
- Ljubodrag Milosević
- Adrian Falub
- Alin Mircea Savu
- Ştefan Apostol
- Aleksandar Todorovski
- Sinica Dobrasinovic
Honours
Football
- Cypriot First Division
- :Runner-up (1):1971
- Cypriot Cup:
- :Runner-up (1):2005
- Cypriot Second Division:
- :Champions (2):1970, 2000
Basketball
- Cyprus Basketball Division 1
- : Winners (2) 1966-67, 1967-68
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Related pages
AEK Larnaca, Anagennisis Dherynia, APEP Kyperounta, APEP Pitsilias, Aris Limassol, Ayia Napa, Dighenis Morphou, Doxa Katokopia, EPA Larnaca, Ermis Aradippou, Ethnikos Ashia, Evaghoras Paphos, Halkanoras Dhali, Keravnos Nicosia, Nea Salamina Famagusta, Olympiakos Nicosia, Omonia Aradippou, Onisillos Sotiras