Who Killed Cyprus' Most Notorious Match-Fixer? And Why?

Stavros Demosthenous ran a lucrative match-fixing syndicate through Karmiotissa FC with a Russian billionaire. But his murder last October was part of a far darker criminal war.

On October 17, 2025, Stavros Demosthenous, the president of Karmiotissa FC, left his home in southern Cyprus and got into his Rolls-Royce. He sat in the front passenger seat. His 18-year-old son was driving.

Not far from their home, a van emerged and blocked them. It had been stolen and fitted with fake plates. Two men fired at Demosthenous through the windshield. They were precise. The son was unharmed. They were gone in seconds.

Stavros Demosthenous in the Karmiotissa FC stadium

In a panic, the son sped away towards Limassol General Hospital, striking several cars. Demosthenous was declared dead on arrival.

The abandoned van was found burned by police soon after, with two shell casings inside.

Within hours of Demosthenous’s murder on October 17, the two shooters, cousins of Georgian origin, had fled Cyprus by ferry to Turkey before crossing into Greece.