The 2015–16 Cypriot First Division was the 77th season of the Cypriot top-level football league. It began on 22 August 2015 and ended on 15 May 2016. APOEL were the defending champions.
The league expanded from 12 to 14 teams this season, comprised eleven teams from the 2014–15 season and three promoted teams from the 2014–15 Second Division. APOEL were crowned champions for the 25th time and a fourth time in a row, securing the title after beating title rivals AEK Larnaca 2–0 at home on 28 April 2016.
Teams
Promotion and relegation (pre-season) Othellos Athienou was relegated at the end of the second-phase of the 2014–15 season after finishing in the last place of the relegation group table.
The relegated team was replaced by 2014–15 Second Division champions Enosis Neon Paralimni, runners-up Pafos FC and third-placed team Aris Limassol.
Stadia and locations
Note: Table lists clubs in alphabetical order. Team Location Stadium Capacity AEK Larnaca GSZ Stadium 13,032 AEL Limassol Tsirion Stadium 13,331 Anorthosis Larnaca Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium 10,230 APOEL Nicosia GSP Stadium 22,859 Apollon Limassol Tsirion Stadium 13,331 Aris Limassol Tsirion Stadium 13,331 Ayia Napa Ayia Napa Tasos Markou Stadium 5,800 Doxa Peristerona Makario Stadium 16,000 Enosis Paralimni Tasos Markou Stadium 5,800 Ermis Aradippou Ammochostos Stadium 5,500 Ethnikos Achna, Famagusta Dasaki Stadium 7,000 Nea Salamina Larnaca Ammochostos Stadium 5,500 Omonia Nicosia GSP Stadium 22,859 Pafos Paphos Pafiako Stadium 9,394
Personnel and kits Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players and Managers may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Team Head coach Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsorAEK Demetris Demetriou (Caretaker) David Català Puma CytavisionAEL Pambos Christodoulou Marco Airosa Nike CytavisionAnorthosis Neophytos Larkou Christos Marangos Macron Cytamobile-VodafoneAPOEL Georgios Kostis (Caretaker) Constantinos Charalambides Puma Mora ThavmataApollon Pedro Emanuel Giorgos Vasiliou Puma CytaAris Kostas Kaiafas Christos Charalabous Legea CytanetAyia Napa Panikos Protopapas (Caretaker) Michael Felgate Eldera CytaDoxa Loukas Hadjiloukas Edmar Joma CytanetEnosis Ronny Van Geneugden Kostadin Bashov Nike CytaErmis Nicos Panayiotou Paulo Pina Legea CytaEthnikos Danilo Dončić Christos Poyiatzis Nike CytaNea Salamina Giorgos Lagkaditis (Caretaker) Giannis Skopelitis GEMS Cytamobile-VodafoneOmonia Vladan Milojević Nuno Assis Nike Cytamobile-VodafonePafos Apostolos Makrides Giorgos Sielis Pafos FC Cyta
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment APOEL Gustavo Manduca End of tenure as caretaker End of 2014–15 seasonPre-season Domingos Paciência 21 May 2015 Aris Akis Agiomamitis End of contract End of 2014–15 season Jane Nikolovski 3 June 2015 Doxa Nikos Andreou End of contract End of 2014–15 season Loukas Hadjiloukas 3 June 2015 Nea Salamina Floros Nicolaou End of tenure as caretaker End of 2014–15 season Jan de Jonge 9 June 2015 Apollon Ton Caanen End of contract End of 2014–15 season Pedro Emanuel 9 June 2015 Ermis Michalis Markou End of tenure as caretaker End of 2014–15 season Pavlos Dermitzakis 12 June 2015 Aris Jane Nikolovski Resigned 18 July 2015 Akis Agiomamitis 21 July 2015 APOEL Domingos Paciência Sacked 28 August 2015 1st Temur Ketsbaia 28 August 2015 Ermis Pavlos Dermitzakis Sacked 3 September 2015 11th Apostolos Makrides 3 September 2015 Aris Akis Agiomamitis Mutual consent 14 September 2015 13th Eugen Neagoe 15 September 2015 AEL Christakis Christoforou Mutual consent 19 October 2015 10th Makis Chavos 27 October 2015 Ermis Apostolos Makrides Resigned 22 October 2015 12th Nicos Panayiotou 22 October 2015 Omonia Kostas Kaiafas Resigned 2 November 2015 5th Vladan Milojević 11 November 2015 Enosis Nikos Karageorgiou Mutual consent 5 November 2015 9th Ronny Van Geneugden 10 November 2015 Pafos Sofoklis Sofokleous Sacked 9 November 2015 9th José Manuel Roca 17 November 2015 Ethnikos Borce Gjurev Resigned 23 November 2015 13th Danilo Dončić 24 November 2015 Pafos José Manuel Roca Mutual consent 14 December 2015 12th Apostolos Makrides 16 December 2015 Ayia Napa Giorgos Kosma Mutual consent 28 January 2016 14th Antonis Mertakkas 28 January 2016 Aris Eugen Neagoe Mutual consent 4 February 2016 8th Kostas Kaiafas 8 February 2016 AEL Makis Chavos Sacked 7 February 2016 10th Pambos Christodoulou 8 February 2016 Ayia Napa Antonis Mertakkas Resigned 14 February 2016 14th Panikos Protopapas (Caretaker) 16 February 2016 Anorthosis André Paus Sacked 18 February 2016 3rd Zoran Milinković 18 February 2016 Anorthosis Zoran Milinković Sacked 23 March 2016 5th Neophytos Larkou 23 March 2016 APOEL Temur Ketsbaia Mutual consent 21 April 2016 1st Georgios Kostis (Caretaker) 21 April 2016 Nea Salamina Jan de Jonge Mutual consent 22 April 2016 6th Giorgos Lagkaditis (Caretaker) 22 April 2016 AEK Thomas Christiansen Sacked 29 April 2016 2nd Demetris Demetriou (Caretaker) 30 April 2016
Regular season
League table
Results
Championship round
Table
Results
Relegation round
Table
Results
Season statistics
Top scorers Including matches played on 15 May 2016; Source: Cyprus Football Association RankPlayerClubGoals1 Fernando Cavenaghi APOEL19 André Alves AEK Dimitar Makriev Nea Salamina4 Dino Ndlovu Anorthosis175 Tomás De Vincenti APOEL15 Cillian Sheridan Omonia André Schembri Omonia8 Alhassane Keita Ermis139 Georgios Efrem APOEL11 Nassir Maachi Pafos
Hat-tricks # Player For Against Result Date1. Dino Ndlovu Anorthosis Nea Salamina 2. Fernando Cavenaghi APOEL AEL Limassol 3. Anton Maglica Apollon Pafos 3–1
Scoring First goal of the season: 2 minutes and 40 seconds – Koullis Pavlou (Nea Salamina) against Omonia (19:02 EET, 22 August 2015) Fastest goal of the season: 0 minutes and 34 seconds – Nikos Englezou (AEK) against Enosis (26 September 2015) Latest goal of the season: 96 minutes and 20 seconds – Joël Damahou (Pafos) against Nea Salamina (18 January 2016) First scored penalty kick of the season: 93 minutes and 38 seconds – Cillian Sheridan (Omonia) against Nea Salamina (20:48 EET, 22 August 2015) First own goal of the season: 73 minutes and 8 seconds – Aritz López Garai (Doxa) for Ethnikos (20:28 EET, 23 August 2015) Most goals scored in a match by one player: 3 goals Dino Ndlovu (Anorthosis) against Nea Salamina (29 August 2015) Fernando Cavenaghi (APOEL) against AEL (17 October 2015) Anton Maglica (Apollon) against Pafos (20 February 2016) Most scored goals in a single fixture – 30 goals (Fixture 8) Fixture 8 results: Ayia Napa 0–3 Apollon, Omonia 6–0 Pafos, Anorthosis 4–0 Ermis, Ethnikos 0–2 AEK, Doxa 2–1 Enosis, AEL 1–2 Aris, Nea Salamina 0–9 APOEL. Highest scoring game: 9 goals Nea Salamina 0–9 APOEL (26 October 2015) Largest winning margin: 9 goals Nea Salamina 0–9 APOEL (26 October 2015) Most goals scored in a match by a single team: 9 goals Nea Salamina 0–9 APOEL (26 October 2015) Most goals scored by a losing team: 3 goals Omonia 5–3 Nea Salamina (22 August 2015) Aris 4–3 Doxa (15 May 2016)
Discipline First yellow card of the season: 6 minutes – Ivan Ćurjurić for Nea Salamina against Omonia (19:06 EET, 22 August 2015) First red card of the season: 70 minutes – Levan Khmaladze for Pafos against AEK (20:25 EET, 22 August 2015) Most yellow cards in a single match: 12 AEK 1–2 Nea Salamina – 5 for AEK (Toño Ramírez (2), Albert Serrán (2), Jorge Monteiro) and 7 for Nea Salamina (Marko Andić, Aldo Adorno, China (2), Ioannis Kousoulos, Giannis Skopelitis, Dimitar Makriev) (19 October 2015) Omonia 0–2 APOEL – 6 for Omonia (Ivan Runje, Giorgos Economides, Renato Margaça, Nuno Assis, George Florescu, Carlitos) and 6 for APOEL (Iñaki Astiz, Nuno Morais, Tomás De Vincenti (2), Constantinos Charalambides, Giannis Gianniotas) (23 April 2016) Most red cards in a single match: 3 AEK 1–2 Nea Salamina – 2 for AEK (Albert Serrán, Toño Ramírez) and 1 for Nea Salamina (China) (19 October 2015)
Attendances
# Club Average 1 APOEL 7,873 2 Omonoia 6,787 3 Anorthosis 4,811 4 AEK Larnaca 3,238 5 Apollon Limassol 2,702 6 Pafos 1,884 7 AEL 1,809 8 Nea Salamina 1,528 9 ENP 996 10 Ermis 708 11 Aris Limassol 674 12 Ethnikos Achnas 669 13 Doxa Katokopias 467 14 Ayia Napa 442Source:
References
Sources
External links uefa.com