The Cypriot Second Division () is the second highest football division of the Cypriot football league system.
Administered by the Cyprus Football Association, it is contested by 16 teams, with the top three teams being promoted to the Cypriot First Division and the last three teams being relegated to the Cypriot Third Division.
History The Cypriot Second Division started unofficially the 1934–35 football season as the second level of the Cypriot football (Cyprus Football Association founded in 1934). The competition consisted of teams that didn't participate in Cypriot First Division and the reserve teams of the Cypriot First Division clubs. In the reserve teams were allowed to participate only players that had no more than three caps with their team in First Division. The reserve teams won all the titles of the unofficial period.
The first official second division championship was held in the 1953–54 season, after the unification of Cypriot Football, without the presence of the reserve teams. From that season, the reserve teams were participate in the new Reserve Teams Championship.
Almost every team that participated and still participate in the Cypriot First Division had also participated in the Second Division, with only exceptions to be APOEL and Omonia. Pezoporikos Larnaca and Trust were also two teams that never played to Second Division but both do not exist anymore. Çetinkaya Türk also never participated in Second Division but the team withdrew from CFA in 1954. Many teams with multiple participations in the Cypriot First Division had also played in the Second Division, like AEL Limassol, Nea Salamis Famagusta, Apollon Limassol, Olympiakos Nicosia, AEK Larnaca, Enosis Neon Paralimni and EPA Larnaca.
Anorthosis Famagusta also participated in the Second Division during 1945–46 season (unofficial competition), because they withdrew from CFA eight years earlier and disbanded their football team. After their reform and their re-integration in the CFA, they were forced to play in the Second Division in order to be promoted to the First Division. It was the only time from the unofficial period of the competition that a team promoted from the Second Division to the First Division.
Since 1952–53 season, the second Division teams took part in the Cypriot Cup, except of the 1963–64 season. In some seasons during the 1960s and 1970s only the leading teams of the Second Division took part (some times only the champion) in the competition. From 1975–76 season all the teams of the Cypriot Second Division take part in the Cypriot Cup. No Second Division team ever reach the final but they qualified for the semi-finals four times (Nea Salamis Famagusta in 1953–54, Orfeas Nicosia in 1983–84, PAEEK in 1984–85 and AEP Paphos in 2005–06).
Structure The structure of the championship was changed some times. From 1953–54 until 1967–68 the championship was split to two or three geographical groups, depending from Districts of Cyprus each participated team came from. The winners of each group were playing against each other in the final phase of the competition and the winner were the champions of the Second Division.
The championship was held for the first time as a single division in the 1968–69 season. All the teams played against each other twice, once at their home and once away. The team with the most points at the end of the season crowned champions. This is the league's current format until present time. Exceptions were: The 1974–75 season, due to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus which forced many teams that had their headquarters to the north Cyprus to be closed temporarily or permanently, CFA decided to have a Special mixed championship of Second & Third Division. In this championship could participate all the teams of the Second and Third Division. Participation was optional. The championship had two geographical groups. The winners of each group were playing against each other in the final phase and the winners were the champions of the league. The winner was considered as the 1974–75 Cypriot Second Division champions. The 1994–95 season, the league consisted of three rounds. In the first two rounds all teams played against each other twice, once at their home and once away. The home teams for the third round matches were determined based on their league table position after the end of the second round. The 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12 and 2012–13 seasons, each team played against each other twice, once at home and once away. After these matches, the first four teams qualified for the Promotion Group. At the Promotion Group every team played each other twice, once at home and once away. The teams with the best records were promoted to First Division. Regular season records were carried over without any modifications. The 2013–14 season, the league was split into a two tier system, Group B1 and Group B2 with 8 teams participating in each division. All the teams played (of each group) against each other four times, twice at home and twice away. The first two teams of Group B1 were promoted to the Cypriot First Division, while the first two teams of Group B2 were promoted to Group B1. The last four teams of Group B1 were relegated to Group B2, while the last four teams of Group B2 were relegated to the Cypriot Third Division. However, after the end of the season Cyprus Football Association merged the two groups, creating a unified Second Division. So all the teams that were relegated from B1 to B2 and the teams that promoted from B2 to B1 participated in the new unified Second Division. The two groups were not at the same level, as Group B1 was above Group B2. Second Division Champions of that season was considered the winner of Group B1.
Current format (Since 2022–23) Sixteen clubs are competing in the league, facing each other at least once (either at home or away). Afterwards, the table split into two groups, with the top eight teams entering the promotion round and the bottom eight teams entering the relegation round. The champion, 2nd and 3rd placed teams are promoted to the Cypriot First Division, whilst the bottom three are relegated to the Cypriot Third Division.
Points system The points system of the Cypriot Second Division changed three times during the years: From 1953–54 until 1959–60 season, teams were awarded two points for a win, one point for a draw and zero points for a defeat. From 1960–61 until 1969–70 season, teams were awarded three points for a win, two points for a draw and one point for a defeat. From 1970–71 until 1990–91 season, teams were awarded two points for a win, one point for a draw and zero points for a defeat. Since 1991–92 season (until present time), teams are awarded three points for a win, one point for a draw and zero points for a defeat.
Teams The 16 teams which participate in the 2026-27 season of the Cypriot Second Division are:
AEP Polemidion Akritas Chlorakas Anagennisi Deryneia APEA Akrotiriou ASIL Lysi Ayia Napa Chalkanoras Idaliou Digenis Akritas Morphou Doxa Katokopias Enosis Neon Paralimni Ermis Aradippou Ethnikos Achnas Iraklis Gerolakkou MEAP Nisou PAEEK Spartakos Kitiou
Winners (unofficial competition: 1935–1953) The table presents the winners of the competition during the period 1935–1953, in which the competition was unofficial. During that period, the league consisted of the reserve teams of the Cypriot First Division clubs (which won all the titles) and other teams that didn't participate in the First Division.
The period 1941–1944 the championship was not held due to World War II. Many Cypriots were volunteer enlisted in the Greek and English army, and also formed a Cypriot constitution. Most teams have undertaken national project by collecting money and clothing to be sent to Greece in order to assist the Greek people and the army. Moreover, many Greek refugees fled to Cyprus. Due to the prevailed war conditions the CFA decided to suspend all the competitions.
Season Winner1934–35APOEL (reserve team)1935–36Trust (reserve team)1936–37APOEL (reserve team)1937–38APOEL (reserve team)1938–39APOEL (reserve team) Season Winner1939–40APOEL (reserve team)1944–45EPA Larnaca (reserve team)1945–46APOEL (reserve team)1946–47APOEL (reserve team)1947–48APOEL (reserve team) Season Winner1948–49APOEL (reserve team)1949–50APOEL (reserve team)1950–51AEL Limassol (reserve team)1951–52Çetinkaya Türk (reserve team)1952–53APOEL (reserve team)
Winners The table presents all the winners since the 1953–54 season, when the competition officially began.
Season Winner 1953–54 Aris Limassol 1954–55 Nea Salamis Famagusta 1955–56 Aris Limassol 1956–57 Apollon Limassol 1957–58 Orfeas Nicosia 1958–59 Not held1 1959–60 Alki Larnaca 1960–61 Enosis Agion Omologiton 1961–62 Panellinios Limassol 1962–63 Panellinios Limassol 1963–64 Not held2 1964–65 Orfeas Nicosia 1965–66 APOP Paphos 1966–67 ASIL Lysi 1967–68 Evagoras Paphos 1968–69 Enosis Neon Paralimni 1969–70 Digenis Akritas Morphou 1970–71 APOP Paphos 1971–72 Evagoras Paphos 1972–73 APOP Paphos 1973–74 ASIL Lysi 1974–75 APOP Paphos 1975–76 Chalkanoras Idaliou 1976–77 APOP Paphos 1977–78 Omonia Aradippou 1978–79 Keravnos 1979–80 Nea Salamis Famagusta Season Winner 1980–81 Evagoras Paphos 1981–82 Alki Larnaca 1982–83 Ermis Aradippou 1983–84 Olympiakos Nicosia 1984–85 Ermis Aradippou 1985–86 Ethnikos Achna 1986–87 APEP 1987–88 Keravnos 1988–89 Evagoras Paphos 1989–90 EPA LarnacaWins & Runner-ups of Pezoporikos Larnaca FC and EPA Larnaca FC, count to AEK Larnaca FC, as per decision of the CFA. 1990–91 Evagoras Paphos 1991–92 Ethnikos Achna 1992–93 Omonia Aradippou 1993–94Aris Limassol 1994–95 Evagoras Paphos 1995–96 APOP Paphos 1996–97 AEL Limassol 1997–98 Olympiakos Nicosia 1998–99 Anagennisi Deryneia 1999–00 Digenis Akritas Morphou 2000–01 Alki Larnaca 2001–02 Nea Salamis Famagusta 2002–03 Anagennisi Deryneia 2003–04 Nea Salamis Famagusta 2004–05 APOP Kinyras 2005–06 AEP Paphos 2006–07 APOP Kinyras Season Winner 2007–08 AEP Paphos 2008–09 Ermis Aradippou 2009–10 Alki Larnaca 2010–11 Aris Limassol 2011–12 Ayia Napa 2012–13 Aris Limassol 2013–143 Ayia Napa 2014–15 Enosis Neon Paralimni 2015–16 Karmiotissa Pano Polemidion 2016–17 Alki Oroklini 2017–18 Enosis Neon Paralimni 2018–19 Ethnikos Achna 2019–20 Interrupted4 2020–21 PAEEK 2021–22 Karmiotissa Pano Polemidion 2022–23 Othellos Athienou 2023–24 Omonia Aradippou 2024–25 Krasava ENY Ypsonas 2025–26 Nea Salamis Famagusta 2026–27
Notes: Following a decision by the Executive Committee of the Cyprus Football Association (CFA/KOP), upon the opinion of its legal advisor, on 19 June 2025, a request by AEK Larnaca was approved for the recognition of the titles of EPA Larnaca and Pezoporikos Larnaca in the name of AEK Larnaca.
Performance By Club Club Winners Winning seasons APOP Paphos6 1965–66, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1974–75, 1976–77, 1995–96 Evagoras Paphos 1967–68, 1971–72, 1980–81, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1994–95 Aris Limassol 5 1953–54, 1955–56, 1993–94, 2010–11, 2012–13 Nea Salamis Famagusta 1954–55, 1979–80, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2025–26 Alki Larnaca4 1959–60, 1981–82, 2000–01, 2009–10 Enosis Neon Paralimni3 1968–69, 2014–15, 2017–18 Omonia Aradippou 1977–78, 1992–93, 2023–24 Ermis Aradippou 1982–83, 1984–85, 2008–09 Ethnikos Achna 1985–86, 1991–92, 2018–19 Orfeas Nicosia2 1957–58, 1964–65 Panellinios Limassol 1961–62, 1962–63 ASIL Lysi 1966–67, 1973–74 Digenis Akritas Morphou 1969–70, 1999–2000 Keravnos Strovolou 1978–79, 1987–88 Olympiakos Nicosia 1983–84, 1997–98 Anagennisi Deryneia 1998–99, 2002–03 APOP Kinyras 2004–05, 2006–07 AEP Paphos2005–06, 2007–08 Ayia Napa 2011–12, 2013–14 Karmiotissa FC 2015–16, 2021–22 Apollon Limassol 1 1956–57 Enosis Agion Omologiton 1960–61 Chalkanoras Idaliou 1975–76 APEP 1986–87 AEK Larnaca 1989–90 AEL Limassol 1996–97 Alki Oroklini 2016–17 PAEEK 2020–21 Othellos Athienou 2022–23 Krasava ENY Ypsonas 2024–25
Notes: