Pavel Gognidze, the CEO of Aris, recently chatted with RB Sport about 17-year-old forward Michalis Theodosiou’s debut with the first team.
The young player came on as a substitute in the match against AEL.
Gognidze called this a big win for the club’s academy and the first team’s coaching staff.
“This is a significant moment for all of us,” Gognidze said. He added:
“We were excited for this debut! We’re really happy about it. The 17-year-old earned his chance and played well. It’s no secret that his debut could have happened earlier, in a cup match (against Omonia on May 29 in Limassol, on October 22, 2025), but our experienced player, Steve Yago, got sent off. The coach had to change his plans without Michalis. He wasn’t let down; instead, he worked even harder. Like any forward, he wanted to score in his first game and almost did, but his header went just over the crossbar. I’m sure things will go well this season; he’ll get playing time and chances.”
On whether Aris management sees special value in a player’s debut from the club’s academy:
“Yes, it’s an important goal, and we hope to see more examples like this. We have big plans for developing the academy. As for Michalis, he’s a special talent. He has played in two older age groups with Cyprus’ youth national teams and has experience at the U21 level. I want to congratulate both the academy and the first team’s coaching staff for their work with Michalis Theodosiou, as well as the player himself. We are proud.”
