The Cyprus Football Association has asked the Royal Spanish Football Federation to intervene and stop FC Barcelona from holding a youth training camp in occupied Nicosia.
CFA President Harris Loizides sent an official letter on Monday, August 24, to Spanish federation president Rafael Louzan, requesting that the Catalan club relocate or cancel the event.
The letter was also copied to European governing body UEFA and to FC Barcelona itself, according to Cypriot news outlet Kerkida, shifting the controversy into official football governance channels.
Legal and regulatory objections
In the letter, the Cypriot football authority emphasized that it is the sole national association in the Republic of Cyprus recognized by FIFA and UEFA, and noted that it had received no prior notification regarding the event.
The CFA argued that holding football activities in the occupied northern territory raises serious concerns under applicable legal and regulatory frameworks, as well as the fundamental principles governing international football bodies.
The association formally requested that Barcelona reconsider the event, titled Lefkosa Camp, and either transfer the sessions to another venue or cancel the project entirely.
Camp schedules remain active online
Despite the official complaint, Barcelona had not issued any public response to the CFA, and the event page remained online as of Tuesday afternoon, August 25.
The official Barça Academy website continues to list the camp in Nicosia, scheduling two separate training blocks from September 7 to 11 and September 16 to 20, 2026.
The registration portal retains the geographic label Northern Cyprus and specifies that training will take place at the private Near East University, with three daily session groups planned.
Organizers maintain event plans
Turkish opposition news outlet OdaTV reported that it contacted Ozer Turan, who is listed on Barcelona's official website as the communications manager for the camp.
Turan stated that the local organizers saw no issue with the event and confirmed that preparations were proceeding as planned.
Regarding the use of the term Northern Cyprus, Turan maintained that the designation was not intended as a political statement and said there were no plans to change the wording.
Famagusta refugee clubs speak out
The institutional pressure on Barcelona mounted on Tuesday as Nea Salamina Famagusta, a club displaced following the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, issued an official letter to the Catalan club.
Nea Salamina expressed deep concern and disappointment over the decision to stage the camp in the occupied area and criticized the use of the term Northern Cyprus on the official website.
The club urged Barcelona to cancel the event, calling on the Spanish team to honor its famous motto Més que un club, meaning More than a club.
Anorthosis Famagusta, another historic club forced to relocate from Famagusta in 1974, took a similar stance shortly after, condemning the event and demanding its immediate cancellation.
Anorthosis stated that Barcelona's international standing and motto carry a broader social responsibility that should guide its decisions regarding the camp.
Formal notification sent to UEFA
By including UEFA as a recipient of the president's letter, the Cypriot association has officially alerted European football's governing body to the dispute.
The move does not automatically trigger disciplinary proceedings against Barcelona, and UEFA has not published any official stance or decision regarding the matter.
The Royal Spanish Football Federation must now consider how to respond to the formal request from its Cypriot counterpart as pressure builds on Barcelona's management.
