Pafos FC: Does David Luiz play for them, club history and who is the person on their crest?
Pafos FC will step onto the Champions League stage for the first time in the club’s history this evening.
The Cypriot champions battled past Maccabi Tel Aviv, Dynamo Kyiv, and Red Star Belgrade in qualifying to book their place in the league phase.
They are one of only two debutants this season, alongside Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty. Their campaign begins tonight (September 17) with an away trip to Olympiakos, before clashes against European giants Bayern Munich and Chelsea.
Pafos were born from a merger between AEK Kouklia and AEP Paphos, clubs that had struggled for stability - officially forming in 2014.
The turning point came with Roman Dubov’s takeover in 2017. The Russian-born businessman, formerly the owner of Portsmouth, set out to build something competitive and sustainable in Cyprus.
Progress accelerated under coach Juan Carlos Carcedo, Unai Emery’s former assistant, who arrived in 2023. He delivered the club’s first trophy, the Cypriot Cup, within a year, followed by a historic league title in 2024.
Jaja’s late goal against Red Star sealed their passage into Europe’s elite competition this season.
This summer Pafos added a headline name in 38-year-old David Luiz. The former Chelsea defender, who lifted the Champions League in 2012, has already featured off the bench and is eyeing an emotional reunion with his old club in January.
Speaking about his arrival, Luiz said: “I'm going to play against Chelsea with my heart totally full of energy - also to say thank you for everybody. But also to give my best in the pitch because also everybody wants to see that.
“So it's going to be a moment where I'm going to be so happy and the game is going to be hard for us, for sure. Sometimes in life you just have to say thank you and enjoy it.
“Nobody expected many things for us in the Champions League, but I think we can do something special.”
Pafos FC’s club crest is a blue, yellow and white shield, with a man’s head in front.
That man in question is Evagoras Pallikarides, a poet and revolutionary who fought against British colonisation. He died age 19 in 1957, sentenced to death by hanging for possession and distribution of firearms.
He became a martyr for the Cyprus’ independence, which was confirmed just four years later in 1961.