January 2004
Sat 31
- Premier League Floriana vs Marsaxlokk 1-2, Sliema W. vs Hamrun S. 4-0
- Second Division Mellieha vs Dingli S. 0-1, Vittoriosa S. vs Gzira U. 0-0
- Gozo - First Division Nadur Y. vs Zebbug R. 2-3, Ghajnsielem vs Sannat L. 1-1
- The January transfer window closed on Friday at 19:00hrs with the transfer of Floriana striker Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza. Mifsud Triganza joins Birkirkara.
Although the deal seemed to have fallen through the two clubs managed to reach an agreement on Thursday night. The transfer fee is of Lm 15,000 in accordance with the parameters established by the Malta Football Association. Mifsud Triganza signed a five-year contract with the Stripes.
Alan Tabone leaves Birkirkara to join Msida on loan till the end of the season.
Meanwhile Valletta registered two players: Serbian midfielder Nebjosa Stajic and former Malta Under-21 midfielder Massimo Grima. Grima joins the Citizens on loan from Sliema while Stajic replaces Tonchev as their third foreigner. Jerryton Agius and Karl Bonnici was loaned by Valletta to Second Division leaders Gzira United.
Meanwhile the registration of Sharlon Pace was filed in on Thursday by Pietà Hotspurs who take the player on loan till the end of the season.
Graham Bencini signed for Sliema Wanderers also on Thursday after being released by Hamrun Spartans.
- The MFA Appeals Board reduced the touch-line ban imposed on Gharghur FC coach Martin Gregory to two matches after he was banned for four months by the MFA Disciplinary Commissioner.
Martin Gregory had been suspended for a period of four months on the basis of a report by referee Mariano Debono following the match played on Sunday January 11 between Gharghur and Fgura which ended 1-1.
Since Martin Gregory has already served the first of his two match suspension, as decided by the Appeal Board, during Gharghur's last match against Sta. Venera last Sunday, this effectively means that he is only suspended for the team's next fixture against Ghaxaq on February 10. He will therefore guide the team from the bench for the last four matches.
In a statement signed by PRO Dr Stefan Grima, the committee of Gharghur FC thanked Martin Gregory for his dedication and committment towards the team, reiterating its utmost confidence in him.
Fri 30
- Third Division Kirkop U. vs Ghaxaq 4-0, Sirens vs Gudja U. 1-1
- San Gwann F.C. Youth Nursery player Luke Sciberras, born 1989, has been reinvited for a trial with Italian club A.C. Chievo Verona.
He will be training in Italy with the above mentioned club for the third time in two years and will be observed by Italian scouts who discovered his talent three years ago in Malta while conducting a technical football stage organised by the San Gwann F.C. Youth Nursery.
Since then, the Italian scouts have followed his positive growth and progress made and are keen in re-assesing him during this trial, which might lead to a year's engagement with the Serie A club.
Apart from him another three young players from the same nursery will also be given the opportunity for a trial with the same club. This experience will surely be benefitial to them at this tender age and with an opportunity like this they have a good start towards a much wished professional career in football. The three boys are: Neil Goodlip 1991, Luke Borg 1992 and Steven Pisani 1992.
The four boys also players of the national youth squads at Ta` Qali will be leaving Malta on Tuesday under the guidance of Bjorn Vassallo, San Gwann F.C. Vice President.
- All the 52 member associations of UEFA will be the official licensors for UEFA's new club licensing system which will be launched at the start of next season after these associations have put the requisite infrastructures in place to help the ambitious system get under way.
UEFA announced on Thursday that all of the European associations have had a national club licensing manual approved by UEFA. The manuals are all in full compliance with the minimum criteria required for club licensing regulations, approved by UEFA's Executive Committee in March 2002.
The national club licensing regulations will define the minimum quality of standards in five main criteria categories: sporting, infrastructure, personnel and administration, legal and financial. These criteria must be met in order for a club to be admitted to any of the UEFA club competitions from the 2004/05 season. The national regulations regulate the process to be applied by the licensor when assessing their respective clubs.
The new club licensing system aims to help ensure European football's well-being. "It is now time for football to tackle some of the problems it has at a club level and by implementing this new system, UEFA will guarantee that those clubs competing in its club competitions are managing their finances both professionally and appropriately. We hope this will act as a motivation for other clubs to follow suit," said UEFA Chief Executive Lars-Christer Olsson in welcoming the latest developments.
UEFA itself will ensure, through spot-checks, that the system is correctly applied within the European football family, while also taking into account the UEFA-approved exceptions for national associations and the accredited national club licensing manuals that each country has submitted to UEFA as part of the process of drawing up the club licensing system throughout Europe.
During the preparation period, the associations have also co-operated with each other in comparing plans, identifying areas of difficulty and seeking overall consistency in the decision-taking process under the new system. The associations and UEFA have also been consulting experienced licensing experts. This pan-European dialogue has been essential in helping inexperienced associations deal with worries such as respecting deadlines, lack of administrative support for the system, or potential loopholes which could cause future problems. Meanwhile, UEFA has been listening closely to the opinions of the associations, for a time when fine-tuning to the system may be needed.
"The UEFA club licence is a crucial and obligatory step forward for European clubs," said Mr Olsson. "It is the evidence to UEFA that clubs have reached a minimum quality of set standards. A licensed club will therefore have proven its commitment to a continuous improvement process and, importantly, to self-regulation and control in the area of finances.
"Through the UEFA club licensing scheme, we aim to not only gain credibility within the football family, but also for the football industry as a whole," he added.
Thu 29
- Malta was handed a tough draw in the first qualifying round of the 2004/05 UEFA European Under-17 Championship after being grouped with holders Portugal in Group 11.
The draw ceremony for the UEFA Under-17 and Under-19 Championships, conducted by UEFA technical director Andy Roxburgh and UEFA Youth and Amateur Football Committee chairman Jim Boyce, formed part of the three-day UEFA Youth Conference which is taking place in the German city of Potsdam.
In the first qualifying round of the 2004/05 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, Malta was drawn in Group 11 with Belarus, San Marino and the winners of the 2003 competition, Portugal. The mini-tournament will be played in Belarus on September 24, 26 and 28, 2004.
Two teams qualify from each of the groups together with the best third-ranked team from all 12 groups will join the three seeded countries - Spain, England and Hungary - in the second qualifying round.
Meanwhile in the first qualifying round of the 2004/05 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, Malta was drawn in Group 5 with three opponents from Eastern Europe: Slovakia, Lithuania, Georgia. The U-19 mini-tournament will be played in Slovakia on October 18, 20 and 22, 2004.
The 12 group winners and 12 group runners-up, as well as the best third-ranked team from all 12 groups will join seeded countries England, Czech Republic and Spain in the second round.
- The transfer of Massimo Grima from Sliema Wanderers to Valletta is expected to go through as planned although Sharlon Pace will not join the Blues in exchange.
Pace fancies a move to Pietà Hotspurs instead. Last year, the former Gzira United midfielder was already on loan with the Hotspurs.
Grima had already started training with the Citizens on Monday. He is the third Sliema player to join Valletta in the January transfer window following Nenad Veselji and Jamie Pace.
Meanwhile after releasing Ivan Tonchev, Valletta are expected to sign a Serbian midfielder, Nebjosa Stajic.
Wed 28
- Four Premier League players were handed a one-match ban by the MFA Disciplinary Commissioner but a Sta. Lucia player was the worst hit as he was banned for three years after being sent off in a Third Division match.
Shawn Tellus of Balzan, Adrian Pulis of Hibernians and Gareth Sciberras of Pietà collected their fourth yellow card while Beppe Pace of Valletta was sent off during the weekend.
Tellus and Pace will be missing next Sunday's clash between Balzan and Valletta while Pulis and Sciberras will miss Hibernians vs Pietà, also on Sunday.
Ian Cutajar of Third Division side Sta. Lucia was suspended for three years, until January 27, 2007 after being sent off in the league match against Qormi last Friday.
Gordon Failla (St. Patrick), Jonathan Sapiano (Dingli), Charles Gatt (Gzira), Omar Schembri (Xghajra), Joseph Lia (Zurrieq), Martin Camilleri and Marlon Cutajar (Sta. Lucia) and Fabian Cutajar (Qormi) were all suspended for one league match.
Four other players were suspended in the Youth League: Clyde Carabott (Marsaxlokk), Jonathan Mifsud (Naxxar), Omar Vella and Roderick Garzia (St. George's).
- Hamrun Spartans defender Graham Bencini is set to return with the club he was brought up with, Sliema Wanderers.
The 27-year old defender has already reached an agreement with the Spartans over his release.
Bencini made his Premier League debut with the Blues in season 1995/96 but then played for two years with Naxxar Lions. In season 1998/99, he moved to Birkirkara but two-and-a-half years later, joined Hamrun Spartans.
Mon 26
- Malta will kick-off its commitments in Group 8 of the qualifying round of the 2006 FIFA World Cup on September 4, hosting Sweden at Ta' Qali. This was decided during a meeting at the Corinthia Palace Hotel - Attard, on Tuesday which was attended by high officials and coaches from the six countries drawn in Group 8.
Present for the meeting were in fact Swedish national coach Lars Lagerback, Otto Baric of Croatia, Plamen Markov of Bulgaria, Asgeir Sigurvinsson of Iceland and newly-appointed coach of Hungary Lothar Matthaus, besides Malta national coach Horst Heese and his assistant Carmel Busuttil.
Speaking during a press conference, MFA president Dr Joe Mifsud said there was big cooperation by all during the meeting and in fact the fixtures were set-up in less than four hours. As expected, it was not easy to accommodate all but finally an agreement was reached over how the thirty matches in the group will be played.
Besides the dates for competitive matches according to the FIFA calendar, some matches will be played on dates which were reserved for friendlies. For the last matches which will be played on October 12, 2005, the officials agreed to fix the kick-off time in order to avoid clashes. As it has now been the custom, the matches from the Under-21 competition will be played on the eve of the senior sides' matches although there will be some exceptions for games played by Croatia.
On behalf of the other officials and coaches, the Iceland Head of Delegation Mr Magnusson thanked Dr Mifsud and the Malta Football Association for the successful organization of the meeting.
Meanwhile after the game against Sweden, Malta hosts Iceland on October 9 and four days later plays Bulgaria away from home. Horst Heese's side hosts Hungary at the National Stadium on November 17. The next four matches are away from home: vs Croatia on March 30, vs Sweden on June 4, vs Iceland on June 8 and vs Hungary on September 3. Four days later, Malta hosts Croatia at Ta' Qali before playing the final match against Bulgaria on October 12, 2005 at home.
The ten matches from Group 8 of the 18th European U-21 Championship 2004/06 qualifying round will be played as follows: 3/9/04 vs Sweden (h); 8/10/04 vs Iceland (h); 12/10/04 vs Bulgaria (a); 16/11/04 vs Hungary (h); 30/03/05 vs Croatia (a); 03/06/05 vs Sweden (a); 07/06/05 vs Iceland (a); 02/09/05 vs Hungary (a); 06/09/05 vs Croatia (h) and 11/10/05 vs Bulgaria (h). All matches are played on the eve of the senior sides' match, except for the away game against Croatia.
- National coach Horst Heese and his assistant Carmel Busuttil spoke about the need to find new blood to inject in the national squad and the need for players to be more responsible ahead of the forthcoming World Cup commitments.
Heese and Busuttil were speaking after the meeting which was held to set the fixtures for Group 8 of the World Cup and UEFA Under-21 Championships which was held at the Corinthia Hotel, Attard on Tuesday.
Heese said that at this point, the target of the coaching tandem is to find new blood as the main objective is build a good team and not to obtain immediately positive results.
The problem when facing other teams is the fact that foreign players are usually physically stronger than ours and the only way to make up for this is to build better team spirit and use the proper tactics.
The national team coach admitted the Malta International Tournament should provide the opportunity to try new permutations. The squad will be announced on Wednesday 11, three days before the tournament kicks-off. There is a good possibility that new players will be included in the squad as the two coaches are currently giving trials to a number of new players.
As regards the sequence of matches, Heese admitted that he would have preferred hosting Hungary in the first match as the clash with Hungarians brings nice memories of positive results in the 80's. Malta will face two Scandinavian countries in the first two matches instead.
"We need to adjust our game to theirs. We need to find the right players to compete with them as we all know they are physically very strong."
He said the plan is to play with four defenders at the back as he had announced on his appointment. In the friendly match against Poland, using this set-up was not possible due to the eleventh hour injury sustained by Stefan Giglio. However this plan will be adopted in the coming tournament and friendlies and hence in the World Cup qualifiers.
The German coach could not be dragged into admitting the number of points he was aiming for in the World Cup qualifiers. "If we have good start, we can get points. I am optimistic we could win points. But we need to be at our very best. If two or three players in any game do not give their best performance, we cannot succeed."
The two coaches slammed the irresponsibility of some players who are skipping training in order to receive treatment for injuries although they still turn up for their clubs in league matches.
Busuttil said "Some players simply have a wrong approach to the national team. It is not fair for these (injured) players to appear for their clubs. It is the national team, their clubs and themselves who suffer if they continue to play with injuries."
Heese went on to say that they need to speak with Dr Mifsud on how to treat such players, admitting there are three or four of them.
Mon 26
- Second Division Attard vs St. George's 1-0
Sun 25
- Premier League Pietà H. vs Floriana 1-1, Balzan Y. vs Msida SJ 2-1
- First Division Marsa vs St. Patrick 1-3, San Gwann vs Senglea A. 1-1
- Second Division Gzira U. vs Xghajra T. 4-0, St. Andrews vs Zebbug R. 2-0, Gozo vs Dingli S. 5-2
- Third Division Sta. Venera L. vs Gharghur 0-0, Pembroke A. vs Fgura U. 0-1
- Women's League Hibernians vs Rabat A. 12-0, Melita vs Raiders 2-0
- Gozo - First Division Sannat L. vs Kercem A. 1-0
- Referee Adrian D. Casha, one of the four Maltese referees on the FIFA panel, was voted Official/Administrator of the Year in the Konkors Sportivi Nazzjonali 2003.
This was the 44th edition of the contest which is being organised by the Ghaqda Kittieba Sports with the collaboration of the Minister for Youth and the Arts Jesmond Mugliett.
Casha obtained 251 points, placing first ahead of basketball referee Bernard Vassallo with 207 and Malta Rugby Football Union president Kevin Buttigieg with 188.
Adrian Casha controlled his first match in Division 3 back in season 1991/92 while in season 1993/94, he controlled a number of matches in Divisions 1 and 2. His first appointment in a Premier League match was the game between Sliema and Rabat Ajax on February 13, 2000. FIFA approved his nomination last year and since then he controlled a number of matches from European competitions abroad.
- Despite having to play in the Relegation Pool for the first time, Valletta continued to strengthen their squad with the signing of Massimo Grima from Sliema Wanderers.
Grima is the third Sliema player to join Valletta in the January transfer window following Nenad Veselji and Jamie Pace.
Grima, a former Under 21 international who started his career with Pietà, joins the Citizens on loan till the end of the season. Sharlon Pace moves in the opposite direction. Last season, Pace was loaned to Pietà.
Meanwhile after releasing Ivan Tonchev, Valletta are expected to sign a Serbian midfielder, Nebjosa Stajic.
- Youth Football is the basis for the constant development of the game in any country. Malta is no exception, and proper organization in this sector through the Nurseries is a pre-requisite for the future of football in our country.
The Malta FA has strengthened the background in this respect when enacting regulations for the licensing of Football Nurseries in July 2002.
The MFA has just published what is regarded as a very useful manual for coaches 'Youth Football Development in Practice'. This publication has been compiled by Stephen Grima, an MFA staff coach under the guidance of Horst Heese, Technical Director.
The excellently illustrated manual, adequately bound for easy use by coaches during their working sessions, contains diagrams showing collective and individual work out skills for all categories of youths.
The publication is selling at Lm5 and is available from the MFA Headquarters, 280 St. Paul's Street, Valletta. and the MFA Technical Centre at Ta' Qali.
Sat 24
- Premier League Hamrun S. vs Hibernians 1-2, Valletta vs Birkirkara 0-0
- Second Division Zejtun C. vs Vittoriosa S. 0-3, Zurrieq vs Mellieha 1-3
- Gozo - Second Division Gharb R. vs Xaghra U. 0-5
Fri 23
- Third Division Qormi vs Sta. Lucia 6-1, Birzebbuga SP vs Mgarr U. 6-0
- Pietà Hotspurs managed to strengthen their side after securing the services of Valletta midfielder Keith Fenech and a striker from Cameroon, Alain Michel Ekwe. These two players were signed in time to be eligible to play for the Hotspurs next Sunday against Floriana.
Keith Fenech joins Pietà on loan till the end of the season. Fenech had joined Valletta last season from Birkirkara after playing for Mellieha and Rabat Ajax. However after playing almost regularly last year, this season, the 27-year old midfielder struggled to gain a place in the starting line-up.
Alain Michel Ekwe replaces Omam Fransis as the Hotspurs' third foreigner. Ekwe was a youth player with Boavista between 1998 and 2000. He then played for Gondomar SC and Leca FC in the Portuguese second division. Ekwe was an international player at Under-18 level.
- Andre Schembri had to terminate his trial with English Premiership side Aston Villa since obtaining the international clearance to play for their U-19 side could have meant that he would be ineligible to play for the Paolites for the rest of the season.
The Malta Under 21 midfielder was invited to extend his stay by another week after arriving in England on January 12 after impressing youth coach Tony McAndrew. Schembri had been training with the U-19 side.
McAndrew wanted to see him in action in a competitive match and was due to play for the Villa on Saturday in an U-19 match against Chelsea.
Schembri had to opportunity to train with the reserves, U-19, youths and U-17 age-groups and even played in a warm-up match against the senior side.
Wed 21
- Malta lost 0-6 to Scotland in another Under-17 international friendly match at the MFA Training Grounds, Ta' Qali, on Wednesday.
In a first match on Monday, Malta lost 0-3.
- Five Premier League players were suspended after collecting a fourth yellow card during the weekend. Ian Azzopardi (Floriana), Graham Bencini (Hamrun), Daniel Bogdanovic (Marsaxlokk), Olumuyiwa Aganun (Msida) and Milen Penchev (Valletta) were suspended for one match.
Graham Bencini will miss the game against Hibernians on Saturday while Milen Penchev will miss the important clash with Birkirkara. On Sunday, Ian Azzopardi will be unavailable for Floriana in the game against Pietà Hotspurs while Msida's Olumuyiwa Aganun will be out of the match against Balzan. Daniel Bogdanovic will be missing for Marsaxlokk in the game against Floriana on January 31.
The only player suspended in Division 1 was Antonio Saliba of San Gwann.
In Division 2, Colin Ciantar of Attard was banned for two matches. Another two Attard players - Stefan Cauchi and Eman Ciappara, George Saliba of Zebbug, Jeffrey Farrugia of Gzira, Adrian Galea of Mellieha and Kevin Tonna of Xghajra were suspended for one match.
Christian Camilleri of Third Division side Ghaxaq was handed a hefty four-match ban. Jean Paul Camilleri (Ghaxaq), Aaron Abela and Jason Attard (both Ta' Xbiex) were suspended for one match.
Houston Tabone (Qormi) was suspended two matches in the Youth League. Christ Zammit (Pembroke), Jeffrey Camilleri (Zurrieq), George Frendo (Qormi) and Reuben Vella were suspended for one match in the Youth League. Luke Fenech (Gzira), Matthew Genuis (Zurrieq) and Justin Spiteri (San Gwann) were suspended one match in the Youth Knock-Out. San Gwann coach Frans Spiteri was fine Lm 15.
- Msida St. Joseph issued a statement regarding a report appearing in one of the local papers claiming that Floriana were disappointed with the fact that Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza had been training with Msida.
The committee of Msida St. Joseph declares that the player did not attend any training session with Msida. Actually the player was present at the Junior College football ground, a ground which is also used by another club. However the player was training on his own.
In order to avoid misunderstandings, a member of the Msida committee asked the player to train elsewhere.
The committee of Msida St. Joseph pointed out that they had never asked the player to join them on training and had their been any interest in the player, they would have asked Floriana FC's permission as stipulated by rules.
- The Malta Football Association will be organising a course for "Trainee" Referees which will commence on Tuesday February 17, 2004. Sessions will be held at the Malta Youth F.A. Headquarters, 25 Market Street, Floriana.
Interested persons, males and females, who wish to become referees are invited to send an application to the Head Referees' Department, Malta Football Association, 280 St. Paul's Street, Valletta or via email to: tom.restall@mfa.com.mt.
Applications are to reach the Malta F.A. by not later than Monday, February 9, 2004.
Tue 20
- High officials representing the National Associations and the coaches of the National Teams of the countries drawn in Group 8 of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany preliminary competition and consequently put by UEFA in Group 8 of the 18th European U/21 Championship 2004/06 Qualifying Competition will be meeting at the Corinthia Palace Hotel, San Anton on Tuesday 27th January, 2004.
This meeting is being held to fix dates of the matches to be played in these two competitions and to discuss other organisational matters connected with these matches.
The national coaches of the respective countries have already confirmed their participation in this meeting. The coaches are Lars Lagerback (Sweden), Otto Baric (Croatia), Plamen Markov (Bulgaria), Asgeir Sigurvinsson (Iceland) and Lothar Matthaus (Hungary). These will be joined by Malta's National Coach Horst Heese and his assistant Carmel Busuttil.
Sun 18
- Premier League Marsaxlokk vs Balzan Y. 5-1, Msida SJ vs Valletta 0-2
- First Division Naxxar L. vs San Gwann 3-3, Mosta vs Lija A. 2-1
- Second Division Gzira U. vs St. George's 0-0, Attard vs Zebbug R. 0-1, Gozo vs Vittoriosa S. 3-1
- Third Division Melita vs Luqa SA 3-0, Ta' Xbiex vs Siggiewi 0-0
- Women's League Raiders vs Birkirkara 2-5, Mosta vs Melita 0-3
- Gozo - First Division Victoria H. vs Xewkija T. 1-1
Sat 17
- Premier League Floriana vs Hamrun S. 4-1, Birkirkara vs Sliema W. 0-1
- Second Division Zejtun C. vs Xghajra T. 3-0, St. Andrews vs Mellieha 0-1
- Gozo - Second Division SK Victoria W. vs St. Lawrence S. 2-3
- Gozo - FXB Second Division KO Xaghra U. vs Oratory Y. 3-0
- Some interesting aspects were revealed on Saturday as the MFA Commission, set up to study the report of the MISCO Survey on Maltese Football, met the sports media in one of the dialogues being held with interested parties before the Commission draws up its conclusions.
The Commission, which is made up of Birkirkara chairman Victor Zammit, Hamrun Spartans president Antoine Attard and MFA treasurer Alex Manfre, has already met the presidents of the Premier clubs.
The survey commissioned by the Malta Football Association and carried out by MISCO was meant to obtain an insight on the game of football in Malta. The survey focused on family leisure activities, non-attendance for matches, the likes and dislikes about the game in Malta and what could be done to increase the level of interest.
A sample of 800 persons, aged 14 years and over, was taken. Face-to-face interviews covering 40 areas in Malta and Gozo were carried out during the month of August.
According to this survey, football ranks first among which sports people are interested in with 52%. Swimming is second with 35%, followed by athletics 26%, waterpolo 20%, basketball 19%, bowling 12%, hockey 12% and none 27%. Of the 52% interested in football, 65% were males and 35% females.
Among the reasons mentioned for not attending football matches is the fact that they prefer to watch football on TV (21%), grounds are not safe (11%), they prefer foreign football (10%), time availability (9%), too much swearing (9%) and that they are not interested in local football (9%).
32% say they go to football matches less than once a month, 23% once a week, 13% when their team is playing, 12% once a month, 10% once a fortnight and 9% twice a week.
83% of respondents have a favourite team. According to this survey, Valletta is the favourite team for 25%, followed by Birkirkara 14%, Sliema 13%, Floriana 11%, Hamrun 9% and Hibernians 7%.
Most of the attendees - 86% - go and watch their favourite team playing. The others who do not go to watch their favourite team playing cite reasons such as preferring to watch football on TV, no time available, their team not achieving results and not liking to go to the stadium.
Almost all those interested in football follow international games as they claim the level is higher, more spectacular and games are more competitive. If local football had to improve in terms of quality, around 76% of respondents interested in football would go to the stadium.
44.3% believe local games are not of a high level and 16.7% perceive that there is corruption. Other reasons which are cited are the entrance fees are too high, swearing, lack of safety in grounds, lack of promotion for matches, vandalism in parking areas and incompetence by referees. The survey also shows that the game lacks credibility to 45% of those who follow the local game.
Victor Zammit said something needs to be done in order to halt the game's downfall. The problem needs to be tackled by everyone and not only the association and clubs.
Except for a few exceptions, clubs are still run on voluntary basis and do not have proper infrastructure. Most clubs lack financial and planning management and are making operating losses year in year out. Unlike foreign clubs, local clubs have no income from commercial and broadcasting activities while match day income is almost non-existent.
The Commission has already established that the local game needs an injection of ideas and input from all those involved in order to improve its overall quality. The association and clubs should lead the way forward but all those involved should join their forces in a national strategic plan.
Key strategic objectives have already been laid. These include the increase of gates to 250,000 by season 2006-07, the improvement of the quality of the local game by re-structuring the format of the competition and establishing a firm foundation of the clubs. The game should regain credibility and football should be established as a family game and outing.
Interesting to note how the gates dwindled over the past years. Last season's gate was the worst ever with 107,7555 spectators. Gates for Premier League and national team matches amounted to 86,784 or 80.5% of the grand total of spectators. Compared to that of season 1997-98 (163,484), there was a decrease of 34%.
Fri 16
- Third Division Gudja U. vs Ghaxaq 6-0, Sirens vs Kirkop U. 0-1
- Sliema Wanderers midfielder Jamie Pace became the second January signing for Valletta when he signed on loan till the end of the season.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Valletta had signed Nenad Veselji also from Sliema Wanderers.
Pace, who played for the Sliema nursery in his childhood, had moved to the UK only to return to Malta in 2001 where he joined Pietà Hotspurs. After two successful seasons with the Hotspurs, he joined Sliema Wanderers last July. However he only made a couple of appearances in the starting line-up and he was usually being included as a substitute.
Jamie Pace received a national team call by coaches Horst Heese and Carmel Busuttil in October but was dropped last week.
- Malta international striker George Mallia could be ruled out till the end of the season after sustaining an injury in the Premier League match against Hibernians last Saturday. Mallia sustained an injury in the knee and had to be substituted early in the game.
The injury seems to be much more serious than expected and it could take him up to six months after undergoing surgery. The operation will probably be carried out by Prof Marteens in Belgium.
To fill this gap, the Stripes are hoping to sign Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza from Floriana. The Greens are reluctant to allow the 22-year old striker join another club. However the player seems to be eager to move to another club.
Meanwhile Birkirkara are expected to sign St. Andrews goalkeeper Reuben Cini on loan till the end of the season. Cini had already played for the Stripes in season 1998/99, making a couple of appearances in Premier League matches.
- Seven Premier League clubs have applied for a licence necessary to take part in UEFA competitions next season.
Birkirkara, Floriana, Hibernians, Marsaxlokk, Pietà Hotspurs and Valletta handed in their application before the final deadline, January 15.
These applications will be examined by the Licensing Board which is independent of the Malta Football Association and clubs.
Clubs which are not awarded a licence will have the right to appeal. By the end of April, the licensing process, which will be under scrutiny by UEFA, is completed and clubs will know whether they will be granted a licence and hence, whether they could take part or not.
Meanwhile during the meeting of the Council of the Malta Football Association which was held on Thursday, the names of the referees and assistant referees on the FIFA panel were announced. Referees Joe Attard, Adrian Casha, Lorry Sammut and Anton Zammit and Assistant Referees Philip Agius, Konrad Borg, Alan Camilleri, Joseph Camilleri, Joe Rapa, Ingmar Spiteri and James Vella Clark have been reconfirmed while a new official is Nicholas Debattista as Assistant Referee. Konrad Borg and Dr Ian Miller are the new Futsal referees on the FIFA Panel. Dr Joe Mifsud thanked officials for their dedication and appealed to them to do their lob with dignity and to respect each other. When on international duty, the name of their country should be foremost in their minds.
- Pietà Hotspurs are interested in signing two Valletta players - Sharlon Pace and Keith Fenech.
Pace had a most successful spell with the Hotspurs when on loan last season but he returned back with Valletta in summer. On the other hand, Keith Fenech is still struggling to win a place in the Citizens' starting line-up after joining them last season.
Pietà are still searching for a third foreigner after releasing Cameroon striker Omam Fransis. A Serbian midfielder who was on trial with the club over the past days cannot be retained as he is still under contract with a club in his country.
Meanwhile after being suspended indefinitely by the club, defender Digger Okonkwo could move elsewhere.
Wed 14
- Second Division Gozo vs Zurrieq 3-0
- Despite not playing any friendly or competitive matches over the past month, Malta climbed one place in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking as published on Wednesday. Malta now lies in the 128th place.
Among the other European countries, Malta is 47th, ahead of Kazakhstan (135), Andorra (147), Liechtenstein (148), Luxembourg (153) and San Marino (162).
The next commitments for Malta are the International Football Tournament which will be played in February where Malta will host Belarus, Estonia and Moldova, a friendly match against Finland in March and another against Germany in Freibury in May.
- Mark Miller's Under-21 side played two friendly matches over the past week against an Under-19 selection from South-West Germany who was on a training camp in Malta.
In the first game played last Wednesday, Malta won 1-0 with Andre Schembri scoring the only goal. On Tuesday, Malta played the second game, losing 4-2. Josef Mifsud and Antoine Sacco scored for the local side.
- Only one Premier League player was suspended by the MFA Disciplinary Commissioner on Wednesday - Clint Micallef of Birkirkara. Micallef was handed a one-match ban after receiving a fourth yellow card and will therefore miss the important game against Sliema Wanderers.
Josef Tonna of Rabat Ajax was suspended for one match in Division 1. Other players who were suspended in Divisions 2 and 3 were Jason Tabone (Gzira), Jean Paul Abela, Carlos Gatt and Mark Gerada (Zejtun), Mark Ellul (Birzebbuga), Kris Vella Petroni and Kris Sargent (Gharghur), Jeffrey Zammit (Sta. Venera). Gharghur coach Martin Gregory was suspended for four months - until May 13.
Clayton Caruana of the Valletta U-19 side was suspended for two matches while another six youth players were banned for one match: Jonathan Zahra (Gudja), Steve Sammut (Ghaxaq), Gordon Mizzi (Marsaxlokk), Joseph Achokwu (San Gwann), Liam Mercieca (Sirens) and Ryan Grech (Sliema). Two Naxxar officials - Alex Agius and John Galea were fined Lm 25.
- While most of the attention of the Maltese football followers is mainly focused on the clubs' fortunes as well as those of the 'A' and Under 21 national teams, few care to look deeper into the local football set-up which caters for youths.
The future of the game lies in this sector and the Malta FA is leading the way in recognising the importance of Nurseries and Youth Football. Apart from the Youth FA, which works within the 'precincts' of the National Association to lay the foundations of football in our islands on more solid grounds, the MFA's base to cater for the technical and educational needs of our youngsters, is its Technical Centre at Ta'Qali.
The principal objective of the Centre in this category is to develop the skills of promising young footballers with a view to preparing them for future national squads at all levels. This is done at 'Youngsters' and 'Youths' levels.
The pyramid at the 'Technical Centre' has Director Horst Heese, currently also National Coach, at its tip. Coaches, officials and technical personnel at all levels, backed by physiotherapists and specialised medical doctors, form part of this set-up, which also caters for Women's Football.
Work at the base is dependent on scouting and selecting the best talent available. This is done by technical staff from the Centre who visit the clubs' Nurseries regularly and follow the progress of the youths during Youth FA matches.
All those selected follow weekly training schedules at the Training Grounds at Ta' Qali. Teams representing all the four categories from U/11 to U/14 play several friendly matches against local clubs and also participate in tournaments at home and abroad.
In this way the best possible resources are tapped, groomed and prepared for further exposure at the U/17 and U/19, and eventually at higher levels. Through this work talent is not allowed to fall by the wayside.
Such efforts by highly-trained staff at the Centre are supplemented by the constant link and excellent relationship they have with the Nurseries. Visits to the clubs by MFA coaches to conduct practical sessions, meetings with their coaches and administrators, and technical aid to the Nurseries are tangible proof of the sterling work which is being done to provide our young generation of footballers with a better future.
The mission statement at the Technical Centre, 'The future of the national team's success', cannot be more apt.
Mon 12
- Hibernians and Malta Under-21 midfielder Andre Schembri leaves Malta on Monday for a one-week trial with English Premier League side Aston Villa.
The trial with Aston Villa follows another one with Italian Serie B club Bari a few weeks ago. Schembri is expected to return for another trial with Bari in May.
Schembri made his debut for the Paolites last season, making seven appearances as substitute. But this year, the 17-year old midfielder earned a regular place in the starting line-up from the very first match against Valletta in the Lowenbrau Cup.
Sun 11
- As part of its ongoing programme of organising coaching course at various levels, the Malta FA, through its Technical Centre, recently invited Luciano Castellini, former goalkeeper of AC Napoli, Torino, Milan and Inter and head of the goalkeepers coaches at FC Internazionale, to conduct a four-day course for Maltese goalkeepers.
The theory and practical sessions were held at the Ta' Qali Training Grounds and the Technical Centre between the 8th and 11th January, 2004, and attracted a good number of prominent goalkeepers. Malta's top names, Mario Muscat, Saviour Darmanin, Daniel Dengaky and Charles Sciberras all with ample Premier League experience were among those who attended.
Castellini said that, although run over a condensed period, the course proved to be very useful for the participants and the interest they showed proved a good experience for him as well.
He said that he was very satisfied with what was done during the four days, adding that such courses are always necessary for improving the skills of of extreme defenders in an age when new development in technique are constant reminders of continued progress in the level of football coaching.
Sun 11
- Premier League Msida SJ vs Marsaxlokk 0-1, Balzan Y. vs Pietà H. 2-0
- First Division Senglea A. vs Mqabba 0-0, Rabat A. vs Tarxien R. 2-1
- Second Division Zebbug R. vs Gzira U. 0-0, Zurrieq vs Dingli S. 1-0
- Third Division Pembroke A. vs Sta. Venera L. 1-3, Fgura U. vs Gharghur 1-1
- Women's League Rabat Ajax vs Raiders 1-6, Melita vs Hibernians 0-4
- Gozo - First Division Zebbug R. vs Sannat L. 3-1, Xewkija T. vs Ghajnsielem 1-4
Sat 10
- Premier League Hibernians vs Birkirkara 2-1, Valletta vs Sliema W. 0-3
- Second Division St. George's vs Zejtun C. 1-1, Mellieha vs Attard 0-1
- Gozo - Second Division Oratory Y. vs Qala SJ 2-0
- Top Dutch Football team SC Heerenveen will be arriving in Malta on Saturday accompanied by more than 130 sponsors and supporters. The group will be staying in Malta until the 18th January.
SC Heerenveen will be using the facilities of the Hibernians Football Ground for their mid-season training camp and will be playing friendly matches against local teams Hibernians, Pieta Hotspurs and Mqabba FC.
The team, sponsors and supporters will be staying at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Sliema.
This visit was made possible by the close collaboration of the Malta Tourism Authority's Amsterdam office with Air Malta, the Hibernians Ground Management Board and the Crowne Plaza Hotel.
Fri 9
- Third Division Siggiewi vs Birzebbuga SP 2-2, Mgarr U. vs Qormi 0-2
- The Malta Football Association would like to inform the general public that following a meeting with the Police, it was decided that supporters attending the National Stadium on Saturday 10 should stay as follows:14:00 Hibernians vs Birkirkara
Hibernians supporters should stay in the West Stand C (Enclosure) while Birkirkara supporters should stay in the West Stand A (Enclosure).
16:00 Valletta vs Sliema Wanderers
Valletta supporters should stay in the West Stand C (Enclosure) while Sliema supporters should stay in the Millennium Stand Side A. Sliema supporters should park their cars in the parking area behind the Millennium Stand.
Thu 8
- First Division San Gwann vs Marsa 4-0, St. Patrick vs Mosta 2-1
Wed 7
- Seven Premier League players were handed a one-match ban by the MFA Disciplinary Commissioner on Wednesday after being sent off or after receiving a fourth yellow card. The worst hit were Birkirkara and Floriana who both had two players suspended.
The seven players are: Roderick Briffa and Haruna Doda (Birkirkara), Clifton Ciantar and Stephen Wellman (Floriana), Keith Fabri (Hamrun), Pierre Aquilina (Pietà) and Fabio Cauchi (Msida).
The Birkirkara duo will miss the important game against Hibernians. Ciantar, Wellman and Fabri will miss the clash between Floriana and Hamrun. Fabio Cauchi will miss the game against Marsaxlokk while Pierre Aquilina will be unavailable for the match against Balzan.
Three players from Division 3 were also suspended for one match - Dione Agius (Ta' Xbiex), Mark Said and Nathaniel Falzon (Luqa).
Vincent Vella, kit-manager of Sta. Lucia, was fined Lm 25.
Clint Borg Ferriggi (Zebbug) was suspended six matches from the Youths League. Other players from the Youth League who were suspended include Christian Mifsud (Zebbug), Omar Vella, Clayton Spiteri and Emerson Amaira (St. George's), Luke Fenech and Darco Aivazen (Gzira).
- Malta will be playing four friendly international matches at youth level this month. The Under-21 side faces a South-West Germany U-19 selection on Janaury 7 and 13. On the other hand, the Under-17 side faces Scotland U-17 on January 19 and 21. All matches will be played at the MFA Training Grounds.
Tue 6
- Defender Carlo Mamo and forward Jamie Pace, both of Sliema Wanderers, have been dropped from the national squad by coach Horst Heese and his assistant Carmel Busuttil.
This decision was taken on the current criteria of selecting and dropping players according to form.
Carlo Mamo featured regularly in the national team since making his debut against Jordan two years ago under Sigi Held. Mamo collected eleven national team caps, the last one being the friendly against Poland last month.
On the other hand, Jamie Pace was selected for the first time by Heese and Busuttil when the newly-appointed coaches selected their first squad last October. Pace's selection was in fact quite a surprise considering that at that time, he was not playing regularly for Sliema. Pace did not form part of the Malta squad which faced Poland.
- The two MIA First Division League matches which were postponed on Sunday will now be played at the Centenary Stadium on Thursday January 8 as follows: 18:00 San Gwann vs Marsa; 20:00 St. Patrick vs Mosta
Meanwhile the MIA Second Division match between Gozo and Zurrieq, postponed on Sunday 4th January 2004, will now be played on Wednesday 14th January 2004 at 18:00 at the Centenary Stadium.
- The MFA Technical Centre will be organising another Instructional Meeting on Monday, 12th January, 2004, for Foundation, Youth Development Diploma, Coaching Young Footballers and 'C' Diploma coaches. This meeting will commence at 17:30.
All coaches are advised to wear the proper attire for this practical instructional session.
Mon 5
- Premier League Hamrun S. vs Balzan Y. 1-1, Marsaxlokk vs Valletta 2-1
- Sliema Wanderers midfielder Joe Brincat will be making one last appearance for the national team in next month's Malta International Football Tournament following an invitation by the MFA.
He will be playing in the opening match of the tournament, which will feature Belarus, Estonia and Moldova, on February 14.
Brincat quit the national team last August when the then national coach Sigi Held had decided to drop him out of the squad for a friendly in Luxembourg. The former Hamrun, Floriana and Birkirkara midfielder was in fact hoping to wrap up his national team career in the EURO 2004 qualifier against Israel in Antalya last September.
Brincat made his national team debut in a friendly match against England B in October 1987. In all, he played 102 matches, scoring five goals.
Sun 4
- The two MIA Premier League matches which were due to be held on Sunday at the Hibernians Ground were postponed. The two matches will be held on Monday at the Centenary Stadium as follows:
18:00 Hamrun Spartans vs Balzan Youths
20:00 Marsaxlokk vs Valletta.
Therefore the only two matches which will be played on Sunday are those which originally had to be held on Saturday.
- Premier League Sliema W. vs Hibernians 0-0, Birkirkara vs Floriana 0-2, Hamrun Spartans vs Balzan Y. postponed, Marsaxlokk vs Valletta postponed
- First Division San Gwann vs Marsa and St. Patrick vs Mosta postponed
- Second Division Xghajra T. vs Vittoriosa S. 0-2, Dingli S. vs St. Andrews 0-3, Gozo vs Zurrieq postponed
- Third Division Kirkop U. vs Ta' Xbiex 2-0, Sta. Lucia vs Melita 1-3
- Women's League Melita vs Rabat A 5-1, Birkirkara vs Mosta 5-0
- Gozo - First Division Kercem A. vs Victoria H. 2-1
- After regaining a place in Mansfield Town's starting line-up, Luke Dimech was unlucky to be sent off in the FA Cup third round clash with Burnley.
The referee's decision was reported as being a harsh one as the player reportedly fell over an opponents. Mansfield lost 0-2.
It was only in the past week that Dimech returned in the Stags' starting line-up.
After seven weeks without playing a single match, the Malta international defender was included as a subsitute in a 3-2 win over Wycombe in a replay from the FA Cup second round. Then he played the whole 90 minutes in the 1-0 win over Rochdale on December 26 and the 1-1 draw with Macclesfield on December 28.
Sat 3
- Premier League Sliema W. vs Hibernians and Birkirkara vs Floriana postponed
- The two MIA Premier League matches in programme on Saturday and the two MIA First Division matches scheduled for Sunday have been postponed.
The Premier League matches were postponed by 24 hours and will now be held at the National Stadium as follows:
14:00 Sliema W. vs Hibernians
16:00 Birkirkara vs Floriana
Another two Premier League matches are due to be played on Sunday afternoon at the Hibernians Ground. No decision has been taken yet on whether Hamrun Spartans vs Balzan Youths and Marsaxlokk vs Valletta will be played or not but for the time being they are still on.
In Division 1 on Sunday, the matches in programme at the Victor Tedesco Stadium were San Gwann vs Marsa and St. Patrick vs Mosta. A new date will be announced later.
- Third Division Gharghur vs Sirens 0-2, Luqa SA vs Gudja U. 0-4
- Gozo - Second Division SK Victoria W. vs Gharb R. 9-0
- Naturalised Maltese striker Nenad Veselji returns with his former club Valletta on loan till the end of the season.
Veselji, who started his career in Malta with Floriana, had played for three-and-a-half years with Valletta between 1997 and 2001. He then joined Birkirkara but a few months later, signed for Sliema.
Meanwhile another Serbian striker, who ironically had arrived in Malta at the same time with Veselji in 1994, Igor Stefanovic, joined First Division side San Gwann.
San Gwann will be the eighth club for Stefanovic having played with Floriana, Mosta, Birkirkara, Naxxar Lions, Gozo FC, Marsa and Tarxien Rainbows in Division 2 last season.
Fri 2
- 2004 will be a busy year for the Malta Football Association on both domestic and international level.
Addressing the media on Friday, MFA president Dr Joe Mifsud spoke in detail about the events and activities which will held during the year, the national teams, the current situation of the local game and the changes which could take place.
Malta's accession to the European Union will mean that a change in the association's regulations are necessary. Dr Mifsud said the aim is to adopt these regulations while doing the least harm possible. As regards the risks of the arrival of several foreign players, the association will be trying to find a compromise by establishing regulations which are "legal" by EU standards. The president went on to say that the MFA wants to avoid creating a gap between top teams and the others as it is the case in other countries such as Scotland. For this reason, discussions with other associations from smaller countries like Luxembourg, which are already members of the European Union, are being held.
For the first time next season, clubs taking part in UEFA competitions need to have a licence approved by UEFA. The Malta Football Association was accredited with the issuing of such licences. The Licensing Board, which has just been appointed, is completely independent from association and from clubs. Clubs will have to apply by January 15 and if they are not awarded a licence they will have the right to appeal. By the end of April, the licensing process, which will be under scrutiny by UEFA, is completed and clubs will know whether they could take part or not.
Dr Mifsud said the association started issuing licences about four years ago. At first, it was quite lenient as the objective was to bring the clubs' financial situation in order and not to penalize them. The MFA tried to be an example for clubs when investing in infrastructure but unfortunately, some clubs did not follow suit and are now facing difficulties.
Following a survey which was carried out by MISCO, the Malta Football Association is analyzing the results. Discussions will eventually lead to a decision on what should be done to improve the level of the local game, whether the number of teams in the Premier League will be reduced to eight or not and whether there should be changes in the other leagues.
The national teams will be involved actively next year. Preparation for the senior side has already started and the MFA president pointed out that most players in the national squad are attending the morning sessions at Ta' Qali. The fixtures will be discussed on January 27 during a meeting which will be held in Malta together with the coaches and officials from Sweden, Bulgaria, Croatia, Iceland and Hungary.
Belarus, Estonia and Moldova will be taking part in the twelfth edition of the Malta International Football Tournament, earlier known as the Rothmans International Tournament, which will be held between February 14 and 18. These countries have confirmed their participation although two of them - Belarus and Moldova will be playing in the same group in the qualifying round of the FIFA World Cup 2006.
As usual, the tournament will be played on a one-round league basis and each FA will bring an international referee who will control one or more matches.
On March 30 and 31, Malta hosts Finland at U-21 and senior level. Malta then plays against Germany on May 27 in Freiburg. Another friendly is in programme in August. Draws for the U-17 and the U-19 mini-tournaments will be held in the last week of January. Meanwhile a top German U-19 club side and Scotland's U-17 will be carrying training camps in Malta and will face the local national sides.
The women's national team will play its last three matches from the UEFA Women's Championship campaign while an amateur team will take part in the Regions Cup.
The Malta Football Association will be working hard to improve the level of coaching and therefore having more qualified coaches. Several coaching courses will be held, the first one being a course for goalkeepers by former Inter goalkeepers' head coach Luciano Castellini. About the referees' sector, the MFA president said that there is a need of more referees. He revealed that according to an audit by UEFA on referees, the local sector is very organized.
Dr Mifsud said the Malta Football Association will be taking part in the celebrations marking FIFA's Centennial and UEFA's Golden Jubilee. As part of the latter's 50th anniversary, Malta will be dedicating a week of activities. In turn, the European body's official website, uefa.com, will be each week focus on one particular association. uefa.com will be focussing on Malta, the week starting August 16. Also as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations, UEFA will be giving each association a sum of one million Swiss Franks as part of a scheme to help associations construct pitches with artificial turf.
The MFA president concluded by saying that the three-year term of the present administration comes to an end this year and therefore, new elections will be held in next July's Annual General Meeting.
- Valletta and Malta international midfielder Gilbert Agius won the MIA Player of the Month Award for December 2003. This is the second time that Agius has won this coveted award this current season 2003/04.
Despite Valletta FC's modest form so far this season, Gilbert Agius has been outstanding in midfield apart from scoring goals which secured vital points for his club and also helped the Citizens reach the Final of the Super Five Competition in December.