The Derby of the Eternal Enemies () refers to Nicosia's local derby, football matches played between APOEL and Omonia. It is the classic, biggest rivalry in Cypriot football, as the two teams are the most successful and most popular football clubs of the island. The rivalry is also indicative of social, cultural and political differences.
In recent years, APOEL's successes in European Competitions, combined with Omonia's financial struggles, have led to APOEL mostly dominating the rivalry. A seven-and-a-half year long winless streak for Omonia came to an end on 7 December 2020.
Background The derby originates from 1948 when the board of APOEL FC sent a telegram to the Hellenic Association of Amateur Athletics (Greek: Σ.Ε.Γ.Α.Σ.), with the opportunity of the annual Panhellenic Track and Field Competition stating its wish for the "communist mutiny" to be ended. Club's players considering this action as a political comment on the Greek Civil War distanced themselves or were expelled from APOEL. A month later these players formed AC Omonia. The first derby was played on 12 December 1953 and ended in a goalless draw.
Records and statistics Last update: 1 May 2023
Summary Team Played Won Drawn Lost Goals for Goals against APOEL 200 81 58 62 288 238 Omonia 200 62 58 81 238 288 Total 200 143 58 143 526 526
Statistics by competition CompetitionPlayedAPOELDrawsOmoniaFirst Division161625050Cup3416810Super Cup5302Total200815862
The table below shows the results of the two teams in the Cypriot First Division. 1953-5412-12-1953OmoniaOld GSP Stadium09-01-1954APOELOld GSP Stadium1954-5504-12-1954APOELOld GSP Stadium18-05-1955OmoniaOld GSP Stadium1955-5624-12-1955OmoniaOld GSP Stadium31-03-1956APOELOld GSP Stadium1956-5702-05-1957APOELOld GSP Stadium30-06-1957OmoniaOld GSP Stadium1957-5801-03-1958OmoniaOld GSP Stadium11-05-1958APOELOld GSP Stadium 1959-6029-11-1959OmoniaOld GSP Stadium19-03-1960APOELOld GSP Stadium1960-6103-12-1960APOELOld GSP Stadium04-03-1961OmoniaOld GSP Stadium1961-6220-12-1961OmoniaOld GSP Stadium20-06-1962APOELOld GSP Stadium1962-6317-11-1962APOELOld GSP Stadium02-03-1963OmoniaOld GSP Stadium1963-6419-10-1963OmoniaOld GSP Stadium1964-6505-12-1964OmoniaOld GSP Stadium17-04-1965APOELOld GSP Stadium1965-6627-11-1965OmoniaOld GSP Stadium28-02-1966APOELOld GSP Stadium1966-6728-11-1966OmoniaOld GSP Stadium18-02-1967APOELOld GSP Stadium1967-6813-11-1967APOELOld GSP Stadium10-03-1968OmoniaOld GSP Stadium1968-6904-01-1969APOELOld GSP Stadium01-03-1969OmoniaOld GSP Stadium1969-7002-11-1969APOELOld GSP Stadium01-02-1970OmoniaOld GSP Stadium1970-7110-10-1970OmoniaOld GSP Stadium10-02-1971APOELOld GSP Stadium1971-7210-10-1971APOELOld GSP Stadium09-01-1972OmoniaOld GSP Stadium1975-763rd Fixture19-10-1975OmoniaOld GSP Stadium16th Fixture01-02-1976APOELOld GSP Stadium1976-7716-01-1977OmoniaOld GSP Stadium30-04-1977APOELOld GSP Stadium1977-7814-01-1978OmoniaOld GSP Stadium23-04-1978APOELOld GSP Stadium1978-7903-12-1978APOELOld GSP Stadium18-03-1979OmoniaMakario Stadium1979-8024-11-1979OmoniaMakario Stadium23-10-1980APOELMakario Stadium1980-8104-01-1981OmoniaMakario Stadium04-04-1981APOELMakario Stadium1981-8225-10-1981APOELMakario Stadium30-01-1982OmoniaMakario Stadium1982-8310-10-1982APOELMakario Stadium16-01-1983OmoniaMakario Stadium1983-8430-10-1983OmoniaMakario Stadium12-02-1984APOELMakario Stadium1984-8520-01-1985OmoniaMakario Stadium18-05-1985APOELMakario Stadium1985-8615-12-1985OmoniaMakario Stadium15-03-1986APOELMakario Stadium1986-8725-10-1986APOELMakario Stadium01-03-1987OmoniaMakario Stadium1987-8824-01-1988OmoniaMakario Stadium29-05-1988APOELMakario Stadium1988-8906-11-1988APOELMakario Stadium19-02-1989OmoniaMakario Stadium1989-9015-10-1989OmoniaMakario Stadium11-02-1990APOELMakario Stadium1990-9104-11-1990APOELMakario Stadium09-02-1991OmoniaMakario Stadium1991-9214-12-1991APOELMakario Stadium22-03-1992OmoniaMakario Stadium1992-9313-01-1993APOELTsirio Stadium15-05-1993OmoniaMakario Stadium1993-9409-01-1994OmoniaMakario Stadium16-04-1994APOELMakario Stadium1994-9529-10-1994OmoniaMakario Stadium14-01-1995APOELMakario Stadium20-05-1995APOELMakario Stadium1995-9606-01-1996OmoniaMakario Stadium05-05-1996APOELMakario Stadium1996-9711th FixtureAPOELMakario Stadium23rd Fixture12-04-1997OmoniaMakario Stadium1997-9810th Fixture29-11-1997OmoniaMakario Stadium22nd Fixture04-04-1998APOELMakario Stadium1998-9910th Fixture28-11-1998APOELMakario Stadium22nd Fixture20-03-1999OmoniaMakario Stadium1999-0012th Fixture18-12-1999APOELGSP Stadium24th Fixture15-04-2000OmoniaGSP Stadium2000-018th Fixture18-11-2000APOELGSP Stadium20th Fixture24-02-2001OmoniaGSP Stadium2001-023rd Fixture29-09-2001APOELGSP Stadium15th Fixture02-02-2002OmoniaGSP Stadium2002-0313th Fixture07-12-2002APOELGSP Stadium25th Fixture04-05-2003OmoniaGSP Stadium2003-0413th Fixture0-12-2003OmoniaGSP Stadium25th Fixture18-04-2004APOELGSP Stadium2004-055th Fixture23-10-2004APOELGSP Stadium18th Fixture19-02-2005OmoniaGSP Stadium2005-0610th Fixture12-11-2005APOELGSP Stadium23rd Fixture08-04-2006OmoniaGSP Stadium2006-071st Fixture13-08-2006OmoniaGSP Stadium14th Fixture16-12-2006APOELGSP Stadium2007-0812th Fixture08-12-2007APOELGSP Stadium25th Fixture15-03-2008OmoniaGSP Stadium27th Fixture29-03-2008OmoniaGSP Stadium31st Fixture03-05-2008APOELGSP Stadium2008-095th Fixture20-10-2008APOELGSP Stadium18th Fixture17-01-2009OmoniaGSP Stadium28th Fixture06-04-2009OmoniaGSP Stadium32nd Fixture09-05-2009APOELGSP StadiumNihilism12009–1013th Fixture13-12-2009OmoniaGSP Stadium26th Fixture21-03-2010APOELGSP Stadium27th Fixture28-03-2010APOELGSP Stadium31st Fixture02-05-2010OmoniaGSP Stadium2010–115th Fixture03-10-2010APOELGSP Stadium18th Fixture22-01-2011OmoniaGSP Stadium28th Fixture10-04-2011APOELGSP Stadium32nd Fixture11-05-2011OmoniaGSP Stadium2011–1213th Fixture11-12-2011OmoniaGSP Stadium26th Fixture23-03-2012APOELGSP Stadium27th Fixture31-03-2012OmoniaGSP Stadium31st Fixture05-05-2012APOELGSP Stadium2012–135th Fixture07-10-2012OmoniaGSP Stadium18th Fixture19-01-2013APOELGSP Stadium27th Fixture06-04-2013OmoniaGSP Stadium31st Fixture21-05-2013APOELGSP Stadium2013–1413th Fixture16-12-2013APOELGSP Stadium26th Fixture19-03-2014OmoniaGSP Stadium29th Fixture05-04-2014OmoniaGSP Stadium34th Fixture07-05-2014APOELGSP Stadium2014–1511th Fixture30-11-2014APOELGSP Stadium22nd Fixture28-02-2015OmoniaGSP Stadium24th Fixture14-03-2015OmoniaGSP Stadium29th Fixture02-05-2015APOELGSP Stadium2015–1610th Fixture09-11-2015OmoniaGSP Stadium23rd Fixture13-02-2016APOELGSP Stadium28th Fixture12-03-2016APOELGSP Stadium33rd Fixture23-04-2016OmoniaGSP Stadium2016–1713th Fixture03-12-2016OmoniaGSP Stadium26th Fixture04-03-2017APOELGSP Stadium30th Fixture09-04-2017APOELGSP Stadium35th Fixture13-05-2017OmoniaGSP Stadium2017–1812th Fixture17-11-2017OmoniaGSP Stadium25th Fixture17-02-2018APOELGSP Stadium27th Fixture04-03-2018OmoniaGSP Stadium32nd Fixture14-04-2018APOELGSP Stadium2018–192nd Fixture31-10-2018APOELGSP Stadium13th Fixture16-12-2018OmoniaGSP Stadium26th Fixture30-03-2019APOELGSP Stadium31st Fixture11-05-2019OmoniaGSP Stadium 2019–2011th Fixture02-12-2019OmoniaGSP Stadium22nd Fixture02-03-2020APOELGSP Stadium2020–2113th Fixture07-12-2020APOELGSP Stadium26th Fixture20-02-2021OmoniaGSP Stadium2021–2211th Fixture26-12-2021APOELGSP Stadium22nd Fixture25-02-2022OmoniaGSP Stadium2022–2312th Fixture27-11-2022APOELGSP Stadium25th Fixture25-02-2023 OmoniaGSP Stadium0-211-03-2023 Omonia1-101-05-2023 APOEL0-0 1In 2008-09, the two teams faced four times but their last match was interrupted due to riots. The Cyprus Football Association judiciary has set aside both groups. This match is not counted in the statistics of the matches of the two teams
See also Sports Rivalry Local derby List of association football rivalries in Europe
References