Barcelona's Youth Football Camp in TRNC Cancelled Following Greek Cypriot Initiatives

The youth football camp planned by Spanish football club Barcelona in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was removed from the club's official website following initiatives by the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus and relevant institutions.

Details Removed from Official Website

In an announcement previously featured on Barcelona's website, it was explicitly stated that a youth football camp hosted by Near East University would take place on September 7–11 and 16–20, 2026.

The event's location was defined on the site as "Lefkosa, Northern Cyprus" and displayed on a map. However, following the initiatives carried out, the dates, location, and schedule information for the organization, along with the records on the map, were completely removed from the official website.

Initiatives of the Greek Cypriot Side and ELAM

During the cancellation process of the camp, the Cyprus Football Association consulted with UEFA and initiated representations with the Spanish Football Federation. At the center of the reactions were the holding of the organization in the TRNC and the use of the phrase "Northern Cyprus" on the website.

The far-right ELAM party also announced that it had called for the cancellation of the camp on August 23 and acted jointly with Greek Cypriot authorities. ELAM also stated that it targeted TRNC universities being listed under the name "Northern Cyprus" in the QS Top Universities rankings.

Reaction from TRNC Prime Minister Ünal Üstel

In a written statement issued by the TRNC Prime Ministry, Ünal Üstel reacted strongly to the steps taken to block the camp.

In his evaluation regarding the cancellation decision taken as a result of pressure from the Greek Cypriot side and ELAM, Üstel stated that considering the cancellation of the Barcelona camp a success is an open admission of the ongoing isolation.