Old Trafford will be rocking on Thursday night with Omonia Nicosia fans set to pack out the away end.
Among the 4,500-strong travelling contingent will be players and coaches from one of England's standout youth clubs, proudly representing the nation's Cypriot diaspora.
Omonia Youth Football Club – inspired by the Cypriot giants – was founded in 1994 and has become a community institution for London-based Cypriots, with over 450 players across 32 teams. Crowned as last year's FA & McDonald's 'Grassroots Club of the Year', they were born out of Omonia London and are a member of K.O.P.A – the highly-successful Cypriot league that has been running in the English capital for almost five decades.
While the club is open to everyone, they primarily serve as a platform for Cypriots to showcase their ability and bring a slice of their home nation closer to their adopted one. It is estimated that between 150,000 and 300,000 people living in the UK have a Cypriot background – with many of them residing in north London.
The Greek word 'Omonia' translates to 'harmony' and while there is no official link between the youth club and the Cypriot giants, they have their blessing for representing the name and the badge to symbolise their diaspora and the strength of identity and pride that they hold. The London-based youth team also tour the island for friendlies against local sides.
Starved of domestic success for a decade amid financial troubles – with bitter city rivals APOEL Nicosia winning seven successive titles, while Apollon Limassol and AEK Larnaca enjoying more economic stability – fans of Omonia Nicosia have had to wait for their club to return to the European stage. An 11-year league title drought ended in 2021 before they won last season's Cypriot Cup, under the guidance of Neil Lennon.
That brought this campaign's Europa League group qualification with the draw holding special significance for Mike Pieri – Omonia Youth's former chairman, coach of their Under-18 side (a group of players he has brought through the ages groups for a decade) and, a fervent fan of Manchester United.
Pieri plans to watch the first half of Thursday's clash in the travelling Omonia section before switching to the home end at half-time. He will not be the only one – a self-described "half-and-half fan" – with conflicting emotions on Thursday, as his dream clash is played out following last week's match in Nicosia.
Speaking to Mirror Football , Pieri explains: "The game in Cyprus panned out perfectly for me and I won both ways. United were expected to win and they did, so I was happy with that outcome – but Omonia gave a tremendous account of themselves, kept the game close and scored two goals.
"We all felt such incredible pride of how the team accounted for themselves on the pitch and the fans in the stands too. It was such a tremendous atmosphere and despite losing, a great night for everyone at the club."
Pieri's link to Omonia Nicosia is through his Cypriot heritage and his family's support for the club, who are thought to be supported by over one per cent of the island's population. "My dad is an Omonia fan and it was always such a strong part of our identity as a family," he continued.
"So when I was then able to coach at Omonia Youth and having my son with me at the club for the last 10 years, wearing that three-leaf clover on our chest, that is such a source of pride. That is our club in Cyprus, our heritage, and we are living that reality."
Former players come back to coach the teams and referee the games, embedding the community feel and their stronghold in North London. "As a club, we have a social conscious borne out of community spirit, and we are fully aware of this responsibility," added Pieri.
"We are not obsessed with winning at all costs; instead, we are obsessed about producing young footballers not only with talent but with the correct moral and social values that will ensure when our young people leave Omonia Youth they can make a positive contribution to the local and wider community."
He adds: "Our 'football for all' ethos binds us as a club and is embedded in the roots and core values of the club which are a fundamental reason why the club has been so successful for so long and remains a prominent sporting outlet for the youth of our community. At Omonia Youth FC we strive to give all our young footballers the opportunity to develop their love of the game in a fun, safe, inclusive and happy environment.
"Indeed, being nationally recognised as club of the year in 2021 serves as a justification but it is not only what we do but how we do it and in the words of that giant of Greek literature Nikos Kazantzakis: 'Ideal teachers are those who use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross, then having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create bridges of their own.'"
Omonia Youth have multiple graduates who went on to enjoy professional careers in the sport; current Cyprus international Anthony Georgiou was spotted by Tottenham scouts and is currently at Leyton Orient, while Harry Kyprianou (an Under-21 Cyprus international currently at Weymouth) and Andreas Komodikis (came through QPR academy, now at PAEEK in Cyprus) also starting their fledgling football live at the club.
Yet the club's existence is primarily focused on providing their community with a sense of identity, with the institution that they are proud to associate themselves with. As is the case in so many nations, Cypriot football fandom often transcends beyond mere results on the pitch and can share close links with politics.
Nowhere is this clearer than with Omonia Nicosia, whose 1948 formation came after a split at current rivals APOEL – whose demand for the "communist mutiny" to be ended was viewed as a political comment on the Greek Civil War. Omonia fans are strongly viewed as being politically on the left and the symbolism at their games is evident – flags with the image of Che Guevara can be seen at home games, alongside a banner carrying Guevara's infamous "Hasta la victoria Siempre" message.
Pieri goes on to explain the link: "You cannot get away from the fact that in Cyprus, football fandom is something that has a huge influence on political affiliations. Those lines may be slightly more blurred these days but there are historic links there that are unavoidable. If you ask someone which club they support, you know their political beliefs."
Omonia Nicosia's links with the UK extend beyond Omonia Youth; their current squad contains English players Brandon Barker and Gary Hooper, alongside Welsh defender Adam Matthews and Northern Irish boss Neil Lennon.
"Neil loves it in Cyprus, he is living in Larnaca, which is a seaside city in Cyprus but is not far from Nicosia inland," added Pieri. "He loves the lifestyle there and the football culture. One of the things that he flagged to us was that he was surprised by the high quality of the football of Omonia's players and the domestic league."
Lennon – former boss of Celtic, Hibs and Bolton Wanderers – will lead his side out in Manchester and the visitor's travelling numbers will be bolstered by their legion of fans in the UK, for whom distance is no barrier for football and Omonia being a way of life.
