Former Ireland manager Mick McCarthy takes over at Cypriot giants APOEL

Former Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy has signed a 19-month contract to take charge of Cypriot side APOEL.

Terry Connor, who has been McCarthy’s assistant for many years with Ireland, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Ipswich Town, will join him in Nicosia as number two.

61-year-old McCarthy has been out of work since his contract with the FAI expired in the summer and he was succeeded by Stephen Kenny.

The Yorkshireman had been due to stay in charge of Ireland until the completion of the Euro 2022 campaign before the competition was postponed for a year due to Covid-19.

APOEL are traditionally Cyprus' most popular and successful club, winning ten of the past 14 titles, but they only finished third last year.

They've made it to the group stages of the Champions League four times, making it to the quarter-finals in 2012, when they were knocked out by Real Madrid.

“We welcome both of them to APOEL,” read a statement released by the Cypriot club on Monday afternoon.

“We wish them to immediately help the team return to good and substantial performances so that it can claim to the end its goals which are to win titles.”