Μake us preferred on Google Barcelona has announced plans to hold a youth football camp in northern-occupied Cyprus in September, prompting a backlash in the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus over the involvement of one of Europe’s most prominent clubs in the Turkish-occupied area of the island.
They got the EXIT festival at Girne Castle cancelled. Now they want two more.
The far-right party ELAM, which has claimed credit for stopping Nexus, says it has identified two further events planned in Northern Cyprus.
1️⃣ The first is Zamna, an international music festival… pic.twitter.com/E5ju0HP8ad
— Y.T.C (@Young_Turk_Cyp) August 24, 2026
The Barcelona academy’s website lists the “Lefkosa Camp at the facilities of Near East University in northern Nicosia”, with sessions scheduled for Sept. 7-11 and Sept. 16-20. The daily program will include three training groups, with schedules determined according to participants’ age categories, as listed in the club youth academy webpage.
The Cyprus Football Association said it is examining the matter and checking the validity of the event, given the political and legal sensitivity of a major European football club holding an organized sporting activity in the north.
The self-proclaimed “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”, commonly referred to as the Turkish Cypriot pseudo-state, declared independence in 1983. It is recognized only by Turkey, while the United Nations considers the declaration legally invalid and the Republic of Cyprus remains the internationally recognized government of the island.
