The sporting director has been in Cyprus since December 2023: “I immediately realized that we could build something important. Before, I struggled to convince players to come here, but now those who arrive don’t want to leave.”

In Cyprus, there is a resort town that unites locals and foreigners under one common theme: soccer. Paphos is a tiny dot on an island that, until eleven years ago, was exclusively a tourist destination. Today, they sing the Champions League anthem there. The club, which also won its first Cypriot championship in May, has 21 foreign players on its roster (including David Luiz), Russian ownership, and a modern sports center. One of the architects of this achievement is Cristiano Giaretta, a 57-year-old from Vicenza, sporting director of Pafos. After a career in Italy, Bulgaria, and England, he has been working behind the scenes for a year and a half and is the one leading this young club to success, revealing all its secrets.

Where did this dream begin?

“I arrived in Paphos on December 15, 2023, leaving Watford and a potential Premier League spot. From the moment I visited the club for the first time, I realized that we could lay solid foundations to build something important: I believed in the Champions League ever since we won the Cypriot championship for the first time last May.”

Now you have a European dimension, which also helps attract players. David Luiz was the first. How did the negotiations come about?

“First of all, we were looking for a center back. We’ve always had an eye out for ‘big-name’ players who could also bring visibility to our club. David is one of them: he has 23 million followers on Instagram and has certainly made Pafos a better-known club. The goal is to match the needs on the field with those of promoting the brand around the world. Even if we don’t want to build a team of star players. The deal also came about thanks to his agent. David, I can assure you, is a great guy and his leadership will help us a lot on our European journey.”

Cristiano, can you tell us a little about what Pafos is like?

“We have a state-of-the-art sports center, built four years ago. There are three natural grass pitches that are kept in perfect condition thanks to our team of gardeners. We also have a gym, a barbecue area, our offices, padel courts, futsal and beach soccer pitches. In short, we have a complete facility where players and their families can spend their days off. We will soon be expanding the sports center with three more fields, so we will have five natural grass fields, plus a restaurant and a medical clinic. In addition to all this, we have our own hotel where we host foreign students from the Academy.”

Is the stadium the missing piece?

“Yes, that’s what we need to become even bigger. Here in Cyprus, there are complicated bureaucratic issues, but we have been working on it for some time and, in two summers, work should begin on the new stadium: there is a great project behind this too. The idea is to have a modern 10,000-seat facility.“

You have 21 foreigners in your squad, but you are focusing heavily on the youth academy.

”We invest a lot in young people. We have all the categories from Under-9 to Under-19, where we have already won three championships in a row, and last year we also won the national cup. The club is very competitive in this regard. We work a lot with foreigners: Brazilians, Croatians, Portuguese… We are also trying to develop Cypriot players: it seems that in a couple of years, teams will be required to play with at least one local player. At the moment, we have three in our squad, but we need to equip ourselves.”

Player selection: algorithms or scouting?

“I have a team of scouts who work closely with me. Two of them work here in Paphos, the others live in their countries of origin, South America and Europe. We rely heavily on data, both physical and technical, but only as a support. I believe strongly in certain parameters, especially athletic ones: speed over distance or the peak speed that a winger can reach. These are aspects that give you an idea of who you are looking at. Our procedure begins with a video selection of players of any nationality, we make a list and narrow it down to create a sort of shortlist. From that moment on, the live assessment phase begins: lifestyle, habits, family, history… We examine everything in depth.”

Why did you choose Cyprus?

“I have an international mindset. I’ve been away from Italy for 7-8 years now. After Ascoli, I went to Bulgaria, to CSKA Sofia, I spent four years at Watford, and now I’ve been at Paphos for two years. I was intrigued by the project behind this club: the Russian owners made a great impression on me, as did the facilities. And then, I would add, the quality of life.“

Explain.

”Life in Paphos is great. It’s a rapidly expanding resort town: there are villas by the sea and nature as a backdrop. There are all kinds of tourists, British, Russian, and even Italian. It’s a popular island, the cost of living is normal, and the food is healthy and high quality. Families also spend their days outside in the sun. At first, I had a hard time convincing players to move to Paphos, but once they came here, they didn’t want to leave.”

What is your typical day like?

“In my daily life, I work on the transfer market all year round. I never stop being in contact with the world, with my staff, I never stop watching players, offering our own players on the market, and so on. I have weekly meetings with the medical and technical staff, as well as with players who may be playing less and are not entirely enthusiastic. I spend my days at the sports center every day of the week: I arrive at 9 a.m. and leave at 9 p.m. To do the job of sporting director well, you have to stay in constant contact with the team, coaches, agents, and representatives.”

How do Cypriots experience soccer?

“They experience it with passion and tension, especially among fans of big clubs like Apoel or Omonia Nicosia, where they fill their stadiums with 20,000 people. For us, on the other hand, 8,000 people come to the stadium. That’s a big step forward when you consider that until recently, Pafos was followed by just a few hundred people. Here, the week is full of soccer: there are radio stations, television stations, social media, and local newspapers that talk about soccer constantly.“

Any talented players you would recommend for Europe?

”We have many in our team. I’ve already picked some from Europe. Domingos Quina comes from Udinese, Ken Sema from Watford, Derrick Luckassen grew up in the Netherlands between AZ and PSV… Two or three could easily play in Serie A, not for the big teams but for mid-table sides. Sema, for example, was a starter at Udinese and had offers from Atalanta. Our owners invest heavily, as do those of Aris Limassol, who are also Russian, as well as Apoel and Omonia.“

Foreign players, but also coaches.

”We have Juan Carlo Carcedo on the bench, a Spaniard who worked with Unai Emery for 15 years. He has been part of the staff of important teams such as PSG, Arsenal, and Sevilla. You have to come to Cyprus to understand, otherwise you think we are behind in everything. That’s not the case, I assure you.“

”Paphos had never won anything. So far, we have lifted two trophies (the national cup and the league, ed.), and that’s all the people were waiting for, so it’s a great honor. Then there’s also a good football identity that we believe in and think we can showcase, with ball possession and high pressure. Against Aris, the match that won us the championship last May, we won 4-0 thanks to an exciting game. Ours is a team that runs a lot, and here I return to the topic of athletic data, an important factor in choosing the final player.”