Aris Limassol is not exactly a household name. Few people outside of Cyprus may even have heard of the country’s brand-new champions. Yet on the island they are so popular that, when Yannick Gomis lashed in a match-winning penalty against Omonia Nicosia in the penultimate game of the season, even supporters of their opponents celebrated.
It turned out to be a title-winning goal once their closest challengers and record champions APOEL lost to Aris’ city rivals Apollon a day later. Cue the kind of celebration most Aris supporters could never have imagined as recently as two years ago.
“It was unbelievable,” croaks supporter Stelios Philippides. “Even in our dreams, we didn’t dream it.
“You saw so many crying faces. A lot of the older generation, they know the club better than us. You saw a lot of ex-players in their 60s or 70s.
