July 2004
Sat 31
- Dr Joe Mifsud was confirmed as president of the Malta Football Association for the years 2004-2007 after polling 56 votes out of 97 in the election which was held during the Annual General Meeting of the Malta Football Association which was held on Saturday. The other contestant for the post, Joe Caruana Curran, polled 41 votes.
Mr Carmelo Bartolo, Mr John Farrugia and Mr Ludovico Micallef were elected as the three Vice-Presidents while Mr Alex Manfrè was elected as Treasurer.
Elections were necessary for the Council Members in representation of Member Clubs in general and the Council Members in representation of the other Member Associations.
In the first election, Raymond Micallef obtained 53 votes, Paul Sammut 33 and Charles Scerri 49. In the second, Lawrence Callus obtained 47, Joseph M. Cassar Naudi 63 and Alfred Spiteri 31.
Therefore the eleven ordinary members on the Executive Committee for the year 2003/2004 are:
Council Members in representation of Member Clubs in the different Divisions:
Premier Division:
Mr Joseph Gauci (BKR) and Mr Paul Spiteri
First Division:
Mr Ivan Calamatta and Mr Charles Calleja
Second Division:
Mr Salvu Vella
Third Division:
Mr Joseph Farrugia
Council Members in representation of Member Clubs in general:
Mr Raymond Micallef and Mr Charles Scerri
Council Members in representation of The Youth F.A.:
Mr Joe Micallef
Council Members in representation of the other Member Associations:
Mr Lawrence Callus and Mr Joseph M. Cassar Naudi.
Dr Mifsud finally delivered a speech to conclude the general meeting. He started by thanking his family for their support but especially all the council members and delegates, whether they voted for him or not. He also thanked the other candidate for the presidency, Joe Caruana Curran, as the contest generated a lot of publicity with regards to the association.
"This election was a proof of how democratic is the Malta Football Association. I made no pressure on anyone and did not promise anything to anyone," said Mifsud. "It was no easy contest as many claimed there was the need for change. However the majority said no."
"I have been working as one of the top officials of the association for the past 22 years and will keep on working with the same determination, even more now that I gained much more experience. We need to keep working hard to maintain football as the top sport on the island."
At the end of this new three-year term, Dr Mifsud will have held the post of president for a record of 15 years. Dr Giuseppe Mifsud Bonnici had earlier held the post for 14 years.
The MFA president has also been serving as a member of the UEFA Executive Committee for the past ten years.
"We must be proud to have a member in the Executive Committee and other members on various boards. This was only achieved thanks to the association's hard work."
Dr Mifsud hit back at remarks claiming lack of transparency in finances. "The MFA has three internal auditors who scrutinize the association's finances. They report any irregularities to the Executive Committee. Then there is the external auditor who audits the association's accounts and would report any wrong-doings. There is simply nothing we need to hide. "
The president admitted that sometimes the public is not getting a clear picture of the work being done by the Malta Football Association. "I think we should start exposing it as destructive criticism influences our clients - the football fans - which then stay away from our stadiums. The MFA will be pro-active in PR matters. We will hit back at those who attack the association."
"The election is now a closed chapter. I am ready to extend the hand of friendship to all, even those sectors of the media that worked against me. Hopefully the election is now a closed chapter for all."
"I am ready to listen to those who would like to discuss some matter or another with me, as long as they are sincere and not malicious. This is something I do not tolerate," continued Dr Mifsud. "I am ready to meet individuals, clubs, groups of clubs, who are ready to come forward in order to feel that they are contributing towards the game."
The MFA president concluded, "I promised nothing except hard work. I could have easily called it a day, retaining just the post on the UEFA Executive. However before I quit, I want to make sure there is someone who is really prepared for the job."
- There was a slight increase of the number of spectators for the competitions organized by the Malta Football Association for the Premier Division clubs during the past season. There was a total of 105,499 spectators (70,205 paid and 35,294 complimentary). An increase of around 900 spectators over season 2002/2003 where there was a total of 104,567. There was however a decrease of around 800 spectators over the number of paid spectators.
The gross income for all competitions which were held last season was Lm 181,239 including VAT. The figure of Lm149,782 was the gross income for the competitions involving clubs from the Premier League. These figures are less than those of the last two years. The gross income for all the competitions for season 2002/203 was Lm 182,263 while that for season 2001/2002 was Lm 249,908.
This emerged from the Report of Activities of the Association (Administrative Report) for the year 2003/2004 which was read and approved during the Annual General Meeting of the Malta Football Association.
During the past season, the Council of the Malta Football Association met 15 times while the Executive Committee met 23 times.
The Council approved or amended the Regulations regarding the Status and License for Member Clubs, the Rules Governing the Reserves League, the Rules Governing Youth Football Competitions, the Competition Rules, the Regulations regarding Players Registered with Member Clubs, the Regulations for the Licensing of Football Nurseries, the Players and Club Officials' Disciplinary Code, the Regulations for the Education of Association Football Coaches and the Doping Charter of the Malta Football Association.
The Council also approved the inclusion of a new member club, Kalkara FC who will be playing in the Third Division.
The Executive Committee put forward proposals and recommendations regarding the various boards and committees, discussed the operations of the Technical Centre including the appointments of coaches for the national teams and at the youth sector and the situation of the game. For this reason, the Executive Committee commissioned a survey to investigate the situation. The results were then discussed and a proposal for a change in the format of the National League was made. This was however rejected by the Council.
The Malta Football Association lost the sponsorship by the Malta International Airport and the LBM Breweries Limited. However the Department of Public Lotto's sponsorship was renewed for both the UEFA Intertoto Cup 2004 and the Super 5 Competition 2004/2005.
A total of 1233 matches were played - 400 of which were matches from Youth Competitions, 50 from the Women's Competition and 236 from the Futsal Competitions. Excluding the matches from the Futsal Competitions, the 997 matches were played in thirteen stadiums and grounds. Out of these, 434 matches were played at the Centenary Stadium, 133 at the Pace Grasso Ground and 115 at the National Stadium.
There was increased expenditure at the National Stadium. The Water Services Corporation informed the MFA that the water supply for the watering of the turf is now being charged 40c per cubic metre rather than 4c - ten times as much. The association is discussing this issue with the Minister for Education, who is in charge of Sports, and the Malta Sports Council. Maintenance on the stadium and its amenities following the damages caused by a storm last September amounted to thousands of liri. Expenses related to the service offered by the Police amounted to around Lm 40,000. For this reason, the Executive Committee is discussing a proposal which says that as from this season, for each game, the MFA Grounds Management Board would receive a minimum income of Lm 250.
The National Team is going through a transitional period due to the phasing out of a number of older players. The association is working hard to make sure the players train in a professional way as much as possible. In the coming World Cup qualifiers, the association is hoping that the team registers some positive results considering the huge investment in the team.
The Under-21 side is costing the MFA a large amount of money while hardly receiving any revenue. However this team is very important as the younger players gain the necessary experience. A problem the Under-17 and Under-19 sides are facing is the fact that the UEFA mini-tournaments are held early in the season. Therefore the young players have to continue training in summer.
The Women's National Team started taking part in the UEFA Women's Championship in order to provide an incentive for female players to have something to look forward to. The team showed lack of experience in the games played so far. Participation in the UEFA Regions Cup is also meant to provide an incentive for the truly amateur players to take part in the domestic competitions.
Most of the administrative work is being carried out at the headquarters in Valletta. Although the MFA bought a house next to the present headquarters with the aim of having larger premises, the association has now decided to transfer its headquarters to the Millennium Stand since there is enough space available and would also solve parking problems. However the MFA will have to sell the premises in Valletta before moving to Ta' Qali.
The Report of Activities of the Association (Administrative Report) for the year 2003/2004 was approved by the council members and delegates present with only the council member and delegate of Sliema Wanderers voting against.
The Financial Report was next for approval. According to the Balance Sheet as at May 31st, the MFA has assets amounting to Lm 5.15 million, Lm 4.82 million in fixed assets and Lm 328,000 in current assets. The current assets include stocks - Lm 68,000, debtors Lm 159,000, investments Lm 55,000 and cash at bank Lm 46,000.
Accumulated Fund: The association's Income and Expenditure amounts to Lm 1.7 million while that of the Sports Facilities, expenditure exceeds income by Lm 563,000. Therefore income exceeds expenditure by Lm 1.15 million.
Creditors: Amounts failing due after more than one year include borrowings Lm 1.88 million and deferred income Lm 981,000 for a total of Lm 1.14 million.
The total Accumulated Fund & liabilities are therefore Lm 5.15 million.
The association had an operating income of Lm 668,000. This includes Lm 6,300 from local matches, Lm 256,000 from international matches, Lm 339,000 from UEFA and FIFA subsidy and refunds, Lm 25,000 from sponsorships, Lm 14,000 from disciplinary fines, Lm 10,000 from affiliation fees, Lm 2,900 interest receivable, Lm 10,700 from profit on sale of immovable property and Lm 2,580 sundry income.
There was a loss of around Lm 25,000 from the Ta' Qali Complex. There was a profit of Lm 2,500 on the clinic but a loss of Lm 27,000 on the Technical Complex and Training Gounds.
Therefore the total operating income amounted to Lm 643,000.
The MFA had an operating income of Lm 643,000. The expenditure amounted to Lm 533,000. This includes Lm 264,000 for the national team, Lm 67,6000 in salaries, Lm 28,500 in allowance for MFA officials, Lm 3,700 in expenses for foreign officials expenses, Lm 6,800 in presentations and awards, Lm 4,800 in travelling and accommodation, Lm 2,000 in professional fees, Lm 6,300 in insurance, Lm 5,700 in printing and stationery, Lm 1,700 in office maintenance, Lm 6,100 in telecommunications, Lm 1,200 in water and electricity, Lm 8,800 in referees training and allowances, Lm 1,200 in audit fees, Lm 1,200 in refreshments, fairs and ceremonies, Lm 134,000 in bank loan interest and charges, Lm 3,500 for the football survey and Lm 1,600 in general expenses. However there was a difference on foreign exchange of Lm 17,000.
The excess of income over expenditure amounted to Lm 109,000 and with a depreciation of Lm 38,000, the excess of income over expenditure amounted to Lm 71,000.
The income of the Technical Centre & Training Grounds amounted to Lm 43,000. This amount includes Lm 29,000 income, Lm 3,800 from football school subscriptions, Lm 8,600 from and Lm 1,400 the share of gates. The expenditure amounted to Lm 62,500. Therefore the excess of expenditure over income before depreciation is around Lm 19,500 and following a depreciation of Lm 7,900, the excess of expenditure is Lm 27,400.
The Sports Facilities Board had an income of Lm 91,000. This includes the Lm 28,000 share of gates, Lm 17,000 in bar concessions, Lm 30,700 advertising, Lm 12,500 broadcasting rights and Lm 2,900. The expenditure amounted to Lm 82,000. This was mainly due to Lm 33,000 in wages and Lm20,800 in ground maintanace. The excess of expenditure over income, before depreciation amounted to Lm 8,700.
The Centenary Stadium had an income of Lm 17,000 and an expenditure of Lm 15,700. There was a depreciation of Lm 41,000 and therefore the excess of expenditure over income was about Lm 40,000.
The income from the Millennium Stand amounted to Lm 67,000 including Lm 10,000 from the gym, Lm 13,000 from the executive boxes concession and Lm 44,000 from other facilities. There was an expenditure of Lm 40,600. The excess of income over expenditure before depreciation was Lm 26,600. However with a depreciation of Lm 173,000, the excess of expenditure over income amounted to Lm 146,000.
As usual, the National Team, Youths and Grassroots sector had the largest expenditure - Lm 280,000. This includes Lm 22,000 in training allowance, Lm 18,500 in bonuses and appreance money, Lm 89,700 in travelling and accommodation for the national teams, Lm 89,400 for the technical staff and Lm 16,000 for insurance and medical expenses. There was an income of Lm 18,800, mainly from players' sponsorships. The excess of expenditure over income, after depreciation, amounts to Lm 264,000.
Over the past year Lm 79,800 were spent on the Millennium Stand in masonry, mechanical and engineering works, electrical and light fittings, swimming pool equipment, finishes and professional fees. The total capital expenditure so far on the stand amounts to Lm 3,875,000.
Asked whether the association's finances are healthy or not, auditor Vince Curmi argued the MFA is generating enough money which could be used to pay liabilities. Dr Mifsud said "Loans are always subject to revision but the bank has always given us the thumbs up. Banks have faith in us because we always pay back in time as it was the case when the MFA recently took a 2.5 million Swiss Franks short-term loan, paying it in due time."
The Audited Accounts and Balance Sheet of the Association (Financial Report) for the year 2003/2004 were approved by the council members and delegates present with only the council member and delegate of Sliema Wanderers voting against.
Seventeen amendments to the MFA statute which were proposed by the Council were approved. A proposed amendment by the MFA Executive Committee was also approved. On the other hand, an amendment by Sliema Wanderers was rejected.
- Friendly Match Valletta vs Senglea A. 1-1. Goals by Malcolm Tirchett (S) and Kurt Zammit (V).
Fri 30
- The Annual General Meeting of the Malta Football Association will be held on Saturday at the Centenary Hall, Ta' Qali. The main item on the agenda is definitely the election for the post of president of the association for the years 2004-2007.
The meeting starts with the verification of the composition of the Meeting and of the Delegates entitled to vote. There will be then the approval of the minutes of the last Annual General Meeting held on the 26th July 2003, the approval of the Report of Activities of the Association (Administrative Report) for the year 2003/2004 and the approval of the Audited Accounts and Balance Sheet of the Association (Financial Report) for the year 2003/2004.
The next items are the election of the president, the election of the three vice-presidents and the election of the treasurer, all for a three-year term. There are hundred eligible votes.
There will be two candidates for the post of president.
Dr Joe Mifsud, MFA president for the past 12 years, will be seeking re-election His nomination was presented by a number of clubs and member associations Before being elected president for the first time on July 23, 1992 when he succeeded Dr George Abela Dr Mifsud, who had occupied the post of Senior Vice-President during Dr Abela's ten-year term of office, is a member of the UEFA Executive Committee and was earlier a member of the FIFA Executive Committee.
The other candidate is former Valletta FC president Joe Caruana Curran. Caruana Curran had resigned last June from the Valletta FC committee, shortly after being re-elected to the committee He was the president of Valletta FC for 18 years He was the mastermind behind Valletta's success in the 80s and 90s leading the Citizens to winning all major honours on various occasions including the complete sweep of honours in seasons 1996/97 and 2000/01.
This will be the first time current MFA president Dr Joe Mifsud will be contested over the past 12 years.
Meanwhile Mr Carmelo Bartolo, Mr John Farrugia and Mr Ludovico Micallef are the candidates nominated to fill the posts of three Vice-Presidents while Mr Alex Manfrè is the only candidate nominated to fill the post of the Treasurer.
The candidates nominated to fill the eleven ordinary seats on the Executive Committee for the year 2003/2004 are:-
Council Members in representation of Member Clubs in the different Divisions:
Premier Division (two vacancies):
Mr Joseph Gauci (BKR) and Mr Paul Spiteri
First Division (two vacancies):
Mr Ivan Calamatta and Mr Charles Calleja
Second Division (one vacancy):
Mr Salvu Vella
Third Division (one vacancy):
Mr Joseph Farrugia
Council Members in representation of Member Clubs in general (two vacancies):
Mr Raymond Micallef, Mr Paul Sammut and Mr Charles Scerri
Council Members in representation of The Youth F.A. (one vacancy):
Mr Joe Micallef
Council Members in representation of the other Member Associations (two vacancies):
Mr Lawrence Callus, Mr Joseph M Cassar Naudi and Mr Alfred Spiteri.
Therefore the only elections necessary are those for the Council Members in representation of Member Clubs in general and the Council Members in representation of the other Member Associations.
The last three items on the agenda are the election of the External Auditor of the Association for the year 2004/2005, additions and/or alterations to the MFA Statute and the discussion of motions.
- Sliema Wanderers presented their latest signings - Claude Mattocks and Adrian Mifsud during a press conference which was held at the Miramare Hotel, St. Julian's on Friday.
Sliema president Robert Arrigo gave details about the Sliema transfer campaign so far. Ernest Barry is back with the club after three years while Alex Muscat, Joseph Farrugia and Pierre Grima will be staying with Sliema after being on loan with other clubs over the past years.
Stefano Grima and Massimo Grima will be joining Valletta on a one-year loan. With Mauro Di Lello, Sliema agreed to have him back in July 2005. Meanwhile he will be playing for Nocerina in the Serie C2.
The club has not yet received any formal request for Kevin Sammut although Msida are reportedly interested in the player. On the other hand, the club is discussing whether to make a formal request for Valletta defender Darren Debono, who is also a product of the Sliema nursery, or not.
Arrigo went on to present Adrian Mifsud and Claude Mattocks.
Adrian Mifsud, a product of Sta. Venera Lightenings, who also played Premier League football with Rabat Ajax joined Sliema from Hibernians. After passing a medical test, he signed a three-year contract with the club and will be registered early next week.
"For me, it was an honour to be requested by Sliema - currently the top team in Malta. I will be working hard to fill the gap left by Michael Mifsud. My target now is to win the major honours with Sliema."
Claude Mattocks, on the other hand, joined Sliema on a one-year loan in exchange for Ian Ciantar. Mattocks, who ironically had started his career with the Sliema nursery, would be therefore due to return with Floriana at the end of the season. However his contract with the Greens also expires at the end of the season.
The international midfielder said he is glad to join Sliema as for him, "this is a new experience which presents a big challenge."
Meanwhile Sliema took the opportunity to launch a "limited-edition" watch commemorating the hundred trophies won by the club. This watch is manufactured by Klaus Kobec Ltd, one of the leading watch manufacturers in Britain, who also manufacture exclusive watches for some of the top Premiership clubs in England and the national teams of England, Italy, Germany and Spain.
There will be only 100 watches available. These will be available from EasyShopping in around six weeks at the price of Lm 25. One could however book one in advance by phoning 21241222 leaving a small deposit.
Arrigo announced that the Sliema School of Football has received its first applications. This football school will be run independently from the club's nursery and its underlying purpose is to give participants a private-lesson type of football tuition. The young players will be split into groups according to their preferred playing position and will be coached by players from the Sliema senior squad.
Speaking about the election for president of the Malta Football Association which will be held on Saturday, the Sliema president said while Joe Caruana Curran was speaking about the needs of the local clubs, Dr Joe Mifsud was more focussed on matters relating FIFA and UEFA. He said there is a need to instill a breath of fresh air in the association.
On the issue regarding foreigners, Arrigo said that the difference between local clubs and those taking part in the qualifying rounds of the European competitions was not that big. Therefore with the inclusion of more quality foreign players, local clubs could narrow the gap further. The Sliema president said Malta needed to take advantage of EU accession even in matters related to football. "With the present MFA regulations, clubs only have to lose and almost nothing to gain," concluded Arrigo.
Thu 29
- UEFA Cup Birkirkara vs Partizani Tirana 2-1, NK Primorje vs Marsaxlokk 2-0
- Michael Mifsud could make his debut for Lillestrøm on Sunday when the Canaries host Tromsø at the Åråsen.
Mifsud arrived in Norway on Tuesday morning and joined his new team-mates for the first training session on Wednesday morning.
About the Malta international striker, LSK president Per Mathisen said: "We have only the best referances from Kaiserslautern. He is a quality player and is very ambitious. Different teams around Europe had expressed their interest in Mifsud but he choose LSK."
Speaking to Romerikes Blad, Mifsud said: "I want to play from the beginning of the match when meeting Tromsų. But the coach gets to decide. He chooses the players, and I'll of course do my best to prove to be good enough in practice."
"I'm two-legged. It doesn't matter if I play forward, right or left wing, as long as I'm playing and helping the team" .
Mifsud is looking forward to put on his Lillestrųm shirt. "It's one of the biggest clubs in Norway. I'm very pleased to be here. I've been taken good care of, and the group of players seems very good. It's important to have fun and be serious at the same time."
Lillestøm, seventh last season, are currently third in the table with 26 points, three behind leaders and last year's champions Rosenborg and two behind Tromsø.
- Massimo Grima will be playing for Valletta once again after the Citizens reached an agreement with Sliema over a one year's loan.
Grima, a product of Pietą Hotspurs, had joined Valletta in January as he struggled to earn a place in the Blues' starting line-up having been out of the squad after serving a long ban.
Massimo Grima, is not the only player to join the Citizens from Sliema. In fact, according to the club's official website www.vallettafcofficial.net, Stefano Grima has also joined Valletta on a one year loan.
Stefano Grima was on loan with Balzan Youths since January. Although he is a product of Sliema, he played for Naxxar Lions, St. Andrews and Marsa.
Meanwhile Mark Galea, who was earlier released by Floriana, signed a two-year contract with Valletta while the Citizens are hoping to reach an agreement with Hamrun Spartans over the transfer of Mauro Brincat.
- Msida St. Joseph signed Roderick Bajada from Hamrun Spartans are seem close to landing Daniel Theuma from Valletta and Kevin Sammut from Sliema.
Bajada, who is a Malta international at Under-21 and senior level, signed a four-year contract.
Msida are favourites to land the signature of Daniel Theuma, who had requested the release from Valletta. Theuma, who is also part of the national squad, has been playing for the Citizens for the past five years after a short spell with Floriana and four years with Pietą.
The Saints now also seem close to taking Kevin Sammut of Sliema Wanderers on a one year loan. The 23-year old midfielder has been struggling to retain a place in the Blues' starting line-up.
Meanwhile three Italian players are currently in Malta for a trial. Manuel Boni, and probably Daniel Nwoke, will be retained.
- Two First Division clubs have confirmed their coaches for next season.
San Gwann will be led by coach Noel Coleiro for the third consecutive season.
The aim for this season is to secure once again their place in Division 1 and to boost young players in the first team. Apart from some new signings, most of the players in last season's squad were also confirmed.
U-18 coach, Frans Spiteri was also confirmed.
Meanwhile Senglea Athletic have also confirmed their coach Richard Mercieca for next season.
39-year old Mercieca, who had started his career as a coach with the club, will be guiding the team and will be assisted by Raymond Camilleri as team manager and Christopher Schembri as physiotherapist.
Mercieca formed part of the Hibernians youth coaching staff for the past 14 years. He had also coached Birzebbuga St. Peter's and the Nigerian selection, made up of the Nigerian players playing in Malta.
Raymond Camilleri served as team manager for a number of clubs including Senglea when they managed to win promotion from Division 3 to Division 2. Christopher Schembri will be looking after the players' physical well-being.
Wed 28
- Joe Caruana Curran, one of the two candidates for the post of president of the Malta Football Association, gave details about what prompted him to contest for the post and what is he planning to do should he gets elected, during a press conference which was held at the Kennedy Nova Hotel, Gzira on Wednesday.
According to Caruana Curran, the MFA urgently requires a drastic change of direction as well a new approach and a fresh outlook in all matters. He said many were feeling that even the day-to-day running and the association's overall operations need a drastic overhaul as it is perceived as having a serious 'image' problem that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.
All clubs are facing financial difficulties. The figures for smaller clubs could be less than those for the top Premier clubs but still the magnitude of the problem is the same. Clubs are still being run on a voluntary basis and it is only thanks to a few people who put their hand in their pockets that make sure that clubs survive. Assistance to member clubs and associations should therefore be a real priority.
Caruana Curran said he had been approached by various club officials and individuals to present his candidature, before finally deciding to accept the challenge and contest the post. The former Valletta president said he feels that with years of experience as president of a top club for almost twenty years, he has the qualities necessary to successfully carry out the duties of MFA president. He said that with a realistic, goal-oriented plan of action for the coming years as well as the right attitude for the job, the MFA can work well and obtain results.
The 46-year old candidate said there were three main principles for change: decentralization of power, transparency and achievements. He said the MFA cannot continue to abide by a situation where everything is centred around one or two individuals and instead various responsibilities need to be reassigned. As regards transparency, Caruana Curran said all details, especially financial ones relevant to MFA operations must be made available to all members of the MFA Council and Executive.
In order to improve the current situation, Caruana Curran said that on had to admit that the local game needed assistance and one should seek out any and all avenues of assistance available, locally and internationally, opting for those solutions which are relevant to our needs and situation. He said it was important to try to find out how countries like Cyprus and Iceland managed to improve the level of their game.
Caruana Curran then made a number of promises should he win the election. He said he would relinquish the honorarium budgeted for the president and instead employ a professional Chief Executive, who would look after the day-to-day running and administration of the association.
He went on to say that he would be working to improve relations between the MFA and clubs, associations, stakeholders, the media and the public through the opening of more channels of communication internally and externally.
Under his presidency, each vice-president would be given specific responsibilities - one would be directly responsible for the Nursery and Youth/Schools ad for the implementation of the National Nursery/Youth Policy programme; another one would be directly responsible for the Second and Third Divisions and Member Associations; and another one would be directly responsible, together with the president, for the National Team, Premier and First Divisions.
He went on to say that he would coordinate with the central government so as to have a synergized plan of action in all matters related to football.
Caruana Curran said that a plan with a fixed time-line for an overhaul of the National Stadium facilities will be put in action. He said assistance to member clubs and associations will be a real priority and also pledged the sum of Lm 500 for each club in the Second and Third Division which could be used by these clubs to improve their facilities.
Any extra revenue generated from TV rights' contracts will be distributed to clubs as it is thanks to clubs who invest in their players who are then available to play for the national team.
He stated that he would make an attempt to lure companies who would sponsor MFA competitions and revealed he already had a number of discussions over this matter with interested companies.
Other proposals were those of the re-organisation of the Nursery and Youth set-ups, re-vamping of the disciplinary committee and the holding of regular discussions with the referees' association in order to determine the best ways to implement changes for the improvement of the game.
Caruana Curran concluded by saying that he will be holding a secret vote during each annual general meeting and should there not be a minimum of 70% approval rating on the three consecutive years, he would not seek re-election following the expiry of his term.
- After losing 4-2 in Tirana, Birkirkara need to beat FK Partizani by two goals in order to reach the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup. The Stripes host the Albanian Cup winners on Thursday at the National Stadium, kick-off at 20:00.
In Tirana, with Birkirkara adopting a rather cautious approach, they suffered constant pressure by their opponents and it was only thanks to a brilliant performance by goalkeeper Justin Haber that the Stripes managed to limit the damage.
At Ta' Qali, Birkirkara must adopt an offensive plan in order to get the goals needed but at the same time, they have to be careful not to suffer any goal as they would then need at least three goals.
The Stripes' chances are boosted as coach Stephen Azzopardi will have the full squad at his disposal. Players like Chucks Nwoko, Lino Galea and Kenneth Scicluna have now recoverd from injuries. The only player who could miss the game is Matthew Calascione who is yet to reach an agreement with the club over a new deal.
On the other hand, Clint Micallef and Alan Tabone, who are both expected to be loaned to Msida St. Joseph, are part of the squad.
The match will be controlled by a referee from Romania, Marian Mircea Salomir. He will be assisted by Marcel Savaniu and Milos Istvan Nagy and fourth official Viorel Anghelinei.
The team which qualifies from this round will be playing in the second qualifying round on August 12 and 26. The UEFA Cup second qualifying round draw will be held on Friday 30 at 14:00 at the UEFA Headquarters in Nyon.
- Upon instructions by FIFA, the Malta Football Association will be holding an exam for those interested in becoming licensed Players' Agents. The exam will be held on Thursday September 30 at 10:00.
Those interested in sitting for this exam should fill in the application form issued by the MFA and send it to the secretary general of the MFA together with the relevant documents.
Application forms should reach the MFA headquarters by September 3.
Application forms and copies of the Players' Agents Regulations may be obtained from the MFA Headquarters, 280 St. Paul's Street, Valletta.
Tue 27
- A 17-man Marsaxlokk squad leaves Malta on Tuesday, destination Slovenia, where on Thursday, they will face NK Primorje in the second leg of the UEFA Cup first qualifying round at the portni Park of Nova Gorica, kick-off at 19:00.
A goal by Goran Jolic gave Primorje a narrow 1-0 win at Ta' Qali in the first leg two weeks ago.
Bulgarian coach Atanas Marinov left out one player who was part of the squad for the first leg - Carmel Formosa. The former Floriana, Hamrun and Pietą striker is expected to move to another club after a successful loan spell with Qormi last season.
The squad is made up of:
goalkeepers Ivan Casha, Ruben Debono defenders Richard Buhagiar, David Carabott, Charlo Magro, Kevin Mamo, Nikolai Slavtchev, Justin Tellus;
midfielders Minabo Asechemie, David Camilleri, Jamie Pace, Mark Sciriha, Trevor Templeman, Ivan Zammit and
strikers Etienne Barbara, Daniel Bogdanovic and Malcolm Licari.
Referee Ararat Tchagharyan from the FA of Armenia will be controlling the match. He will be assisted by Andranik Bonjoukyan and Spartak Hovhannisyan and fourth official Tigran Hovsepyan.
- The U-14 team from the Melita Youth Nursery recently took part in the Umbro International Football Tournament in Manchester, England. This tournament, which is considered as the largest tournament in the UK, hosted 450 teams from 25 countries around the world.
The Melita U-14 team registered three wins in four matches beating Interwood 6-1, Cadishead 3-2 and Harrogate Railways 3-0. Melita then lost 2-0 to Middleton.
Placing second in the group, they reached the quarter-finals where they were beaten 2-0 by Manchester Boys.
Mon 26
- The finalists for the third edition of the Westin Malta Football Awards were announced during a press conference at the Westin Dragonara Resort on Monday. Champions Sliema Wanderers have finalists in six out of the ten categories while no less than five players are finalists in two categories.
Andre Rocha Da Silva, Joe Brincat, Stefan Giglio, Michael Mifsud and Danilo Doncic are in fact finalists in two categories each. Sliema Wanderers are sure of claiming the Best Player Award as they have three finalists - Joe Brincat, Stefan Giglio u Michael Mifsud.
Organiser Sandro Micallef announced that the organising committee was forced to withdraw two categories - those reserved for the Best Referee and the Best Assistant Referee. In fact, the Executive of the Malta Football Association decided that as from July 2004, referees and assistant referees could no longer accept any such awards related to their performance throughout the season. Micallef revealed that had these two awards been presented, Adrian Casha would have received the Best Refeeree Award and Ingmar Spiteri would have won the Best Assistant Referee Award.
Meanwhile Vodafone Malta, who are now synonomous with their support for sports events, will be one of the main sponsors for the Awards. Vodafone are putting a number of tickets for the presentation night to be won in an online competition on www.vodafonemalta.com.
The general public is encouraged to keep on voting in the SMS poll which is related to the limit on the number of foreign players who could play in the Premier League. The question is:
The Malta Football Association has put a limit on the number of foreign players who could play concurrently during a game to three. Do you agree? Yes, send SMS to 5061 4114 or No, send SMS to 5061 4115. The result will be announced on July 31.
During the gala night, which will be presented by John Busuttil, Antonella Vassallo and Valerie Vella, the song "Ghax Ahna Nhobbu l-Football" written by Enzo Guzman and composed by Philip Vella, will be presented.
- The Malta FA Referees Department organised a four-day Referees Seminar at the Conference Hall, Centenary Stadium, Ta' Qali which came to an end on Sunday 25th July 2004.
This annual activity is part of the MFA's programme to constantly update Maltese referees with the latest interpretation of rules and practices in the light of instructions from UEFA and FIFA.
The Seminar, directed by Mr Tommy Restall, Head of the MFA's Referees' Department, was well patronised by a number of Referees, Assistant Referees and Referees' Match Inspectors.
A wide cross-section of topics were covered. The main guest speaker was Norwegian R. Bjornestad, an ex-international referee and currently a member of UEFA's Referees Board.
He delivered talks on communication between match officials, reading the game, determining the offside and pre-match talk - uniformity in giving instructions. Other speakers were journalist Simon Farrugia, who dealt with the 'Referees and the Media' and Malta National Team coach Horst Heese, who spoke on the 'Referee/Coach Relationship'.
Psychologist Ms M. Balzan covered the topic 'Dealing with stress during a match' while Dr S. Zammit MD spoke on 'Dealing with emergency cases'
Besides a practical session, there were two Workshops followed by Group Reports.
The seminar came to a conclusion with the closing address by MFA President Dr Joe Mifsud who stressed the usefulness of such seminars in the light of UEFA's efforts to improve the quality of refereeing, something which was evident in UEFA 2004 in Portugal.
- FIFA International Referee Joe Attard will be controlling the match from the second leg of the first qualifying round of the UEFA Cup between NK Zeljeznicar of Bosnia-Herzegovina and SS Pennarossa of San Marino on Thursday. Attard will be assisted by assistant referees Ingmar Spiteri and Joe Rapa and fourth official Anton Zammit.
Sat 24
- Sliema Wanderers were quick to fill the void left by the departure of Michael Mifsud who will be joining Lillestøm in Norway as they completed the signing of Hibernians striker Adrian Mifsud.
Mifsud is the third signing for Sliema this summer following goalkeeper Ernest Barry and Floriana midfielder Claude Mattocks. The opportunity of signing Italian defender Mauro Di Lello from Pietą had to be turned down as the Wanderers would have exceeded the limit of foreign players allowed. The Blues also welcomed back Joseph Farrugia, Pierre Grima and Alex Muscat who were on loan with other clubs.
Mifsud, a product of Sta. Venera Lightenings, joined Rabat Ajax in the Premier League in summer 1995. He left the Magpies mid-way through season 1999-2000 to join Hibs. He played regularly for the Paolites until last season when a nagging injury denied him a regular place in Robert Gatt's starting line-up.
- The deal which should have taken Edward Azzopardi and Sharlon Pace to Pietą Hotspurs and Kurt Farrugia to Valletta has fallen through and therefore the three players will be returning to the club they were loaned from.
A couple of weeks ago, the two clubs seemed to have reached an agreement over the transfer of the three players. Edward Azzopardi and Kurt Farrugia were part of an exchange deal while Sharlon Pace was due to join Pietą for cash.
Meanwhile Valletta are now working hard in order to strengthen their squad. They are holding negotiations with Hamrun Spartans over the transfer of Malta Under-21 midfielder Mauro Brincat.
The Citizens are interested in striker Mark Galea who was transfer-listed by Floriana.
Galea had already played for the Citizens in season 1998-1999 when he played 17 matches, scoring 5 goals. Last season, 'il-Giza' returned with Floriana after a season with Balzan Youths in Division 1. He played ten matches scoring one goal.
Valletta will have to search for a third foreigner after Todor Simeonov reportedly quit the club. The Citizens had already confirmed him as one of the three foreigners together with Milen Penchev and new signing Jaroslav Marx. The club could decide to retain Serbian midfielder Nebjosa Stajic who had joined them in January.
But positive news for Valletta fans is the signing of a new contract by Rennie Forace. According to the club's official website, www.vallettafcofficial.net, he signed a three-year contract.
Fri 23
- The voting for the Best Goal of the Season 2003/2004 for the third edition of the Westin Malta Football Awards was held on Thursday during a meeting of the organising committee. Twenty-three goals, which in the opinion of the organisers, deserved a nominee for the best goal were screened and each were given points based on three criteria: the action which led to the goal, the way the defence was anticipated and the way the scorer executed the goal.
The goals nominated were:
Matthew Calascione (B'Kara-Valletta), Ndubisi Chukunyere (Hibs-M'Xlokk), Edward Azzopardi (Pietą-Hamrun), Joe Brincat (Sliema-Balzan), Adrian Farrugia (Msida-Hamrun), Stephen Wellman (Floriana-B'Kara), Gaetan Spiteri (Hamrun-Valletta), Andre Rocha Da Silva (Floriana-Hamrun), Stefan Zahra (Balzan-Msida), Daniel Bogdanovic (M'Xlokk-Hibs), William Camenzuli (B'Kara-M'Xlokk), Miguel Mifsud (Hibs-B'Kara), Chuks Nwoko (B'Kara-Mosta), Ivan Woods (Pietą-Floriana), Lucien Dronca (B'Kara-Msida), Daniel Nwoke (Msida-Balzan), Andrew Cohen 3 (Hibs-B'Kara/Pietą/Sliema), Anatole Debono 2 (Pietą-Floriana/Hibs), Adrian Mifsud 2 (Hibs-Valletta/B'Kara).
Andrew Cohen had three goals while Anatole Debono and Adrian Mifsud had two each.
Voting for these goals were a number of journalists and Premier League club presidents and officials.
Meanwhile the Organising Committee nominated five former players who were being taken into consideration for a Special Award for their Career. Those present voted once again and the two players who polled the highest number of votes were Salvinu Schembri and Nicky Saliba.
Schembri was the national team captain when Malta played its first full international match against Austria in 1957. Ironically he never won the Footballer of the Year Award. On the other hand, Nicky Saliba is the player who claimed most honours during his stay with Valletta FC. He also won the Footballer of the Year Award.
In the mean time, a number of players, club officials and supporters took part in the recording of the song which was written for these awards. The lyrics of the song, which will presented on July 31, were by Enzo Guzman while the composer was Philip Vella.
Thu 22
- There will be two candidates for the post of president of the Malta Football Association as the elections for the officers and for the ordinary seats on the Executive Committee will be held during the association's general meeting on July 31.
Dr Joe Mifsud, MFA president for the past 12 years, will be seeking re-election His nomination was presented by a number of clubs and member associations Before being elected president for the first time on July 23, 1992 when he succeeded Dr George Abela Dr Mifsud, who had occupied the post of Senior Vice-President during Dr Abela's ten-year term of office, is a member of the UEFA Executive Committee and was earlier a member of the FIFA Executive Committee.
The other candidate is former Valletta FC president Joe Caruana Curran. Caruana Curran had resigned last June from the Valletta FC committee, shortly after being re-elected to the committee He was the president of Valletta FC for 18 years He was the mastermind behind Valletta's success in the 80s and 90s leading the Citizens to winning all major honours on various occasions including the complete sweep of honours in seasons 1996/97 and 2000/01.
This would therefore be the first time current MFA president Dr Joe Mifsud will be contested over the past 12 years.
The candidates nominated to fill the other posts of the officers of the Association are:
Candidates nominated to fill the posts of three Vice-Presidents: Mr Carmelo Bartolo, Mr John Farrugia and Mr Ludovico Micallef
Candidates nominated to fill the post of the Treasurer: Mr Alex Manfrè
The candidates nominated to fill the eleven ordinary seats on the Executive Committee for the year 2003/2004 are:-
Council Members in representation of Member Clubs in the different Divisions:
Premier Division (two vacancies):
Mr Joseph Gauci (BKR) and Mr Paul Spiteri
First Division (two vacancies):
Mr Ivan Calamatta and Mr Charles Calleja
Second Division (one vacancy):
Mr Salvu Vella
Third Division (one vacancy):
Mr Joseph Farrugia
Council Members in representation of Member Clubs in general (two vacancies):
Mr Raymond Micallef, Mr Paul Sammut and Mr Charles Scerri
Council Members in representation of The Youth F.A. (one vacancy):
Mr Joe Micallef
Council Members in representation of the other Member Associations (two vacancies):
Mr Lawrence Callus, Mr Joseph M Cassar Naudi and Mr Alfred Spiteri
- The Malta Football Referees Association announced the winners of its annual awards for season 2003/2004 during the annual dinner which was held at the Barcelo Riviera Resort & Spa, Marfa.
Second Class referee Edward Spiteri won the Junior Referee Award. Spiteri, who is a teacher by profession, is 27 years old and started his career as a referee in 1996. In the year 2000, he was promoted to Third Class while this season was the first one for him as a Second Class referee.
The Ian Pace Trainee Referee Award, was won by Fyodor Zammit, a 19-year old trainee referee and IT student.
This trophy, which was presented by international referee Adrian Casha after winning the Official of the Year Award earlier this year, is in memory of Ian Pace, a trainee referee who died in a traffic accident six years ago. Ian's parents, Rita u Lino Pace, presented this award to Fyodor Zammit.
Other mementos to Joseph R. Attard, Gaetano De Gabriele and Ronald Farrugia, for whom last season was the last one in the top division following a long career locally besides being appointed as officials on the FIFA panel.
Joseph Borda was also presented with another memento following the great help offered to the MFRA in the visits of the Maltese and Bulgarian referees in the respective countries.
- Hibernians defender Adrian Pulis is the only new face in the national squad which starts its pre-season training on Monday 26. Twenty-seven players were summoned for training.
The following players have been called up by Horst Heese and Carmel Busuttil for training at the MFA Technical Centre, Ta Qali, starting on Monday, 26th July, 2004. This will be in preparation for the forthcoming FIFA World Cup 2006 Preliminary Round commitments starting in September. The squad will travel to Switzerland for a pre-season training camp between the 7th and 15th August and then will then proceed to the Faroe Islands to play a Friendly A International against the home side scheduled for Wednesday 18th August.
Maltese players currently engaged with overseas clubs will also be considered for inclusion in the squad.
The squad for the time being is therefore made up of:
goalkeepers Mario Muscat (Hibernians), Justin Haber (Birkirkara), Saviour Darmanin (Pieta Hotspurs);
defenders Jeffrey Chetcuti, Brian Said (Sliema), Ian Azzopardi, Stephen Wellman, Ian Ciantar (Floriana), Daniel Theuma (Valletta), Roderick Briffa (Birkirkara), Adrian Pulis (Hibernians);
midfielders Noel Turner, Stefan Giglio, Kevin Sammut, Claude Mattocks (Sliema), Antoine Zahra I, William Camenzuli, George Mallia (Birkirkara), Peter Pullicino (Hibernians), Ivan Woods (Pieta), Gilbert Agius (Valletta), Trevor Templeman (Marsaxlokk) and
forwards Michael Mifsud (Sliema), Michael Galea (Birkirkara), Antoine Zahra II, Andrew Cohen (Hibernians), Etienne Barbara (Marsaxlokk).
- Birkirkara defeated Marsaxlokk 3-1 in a friendly match at the Victor Tedesco Stadium on Thursday. This match was used by the two teams in their preparation for next week's second legs from the UEFA Cup first qualifying round.
Ivan Casha saved a penalty kicked by William Camenzuli early in the game and then David Camilleri put Marsaxlokk ahead. However the Stripes equalised thanks to George Mallia and turned the score in their favour with goals by Alan Tabone and Haruna Doda.
After the 4-2 defeat in Tirana, Birkirkara host FK Partizani at Ta' Qali next Thursday. On the other hand, Marsaxlokk will be travelling to Slovenia where they face NK Primorje. The Slovenian side registered a 1-0 win in the first leg.
- The Malta FA Referees Department is currently organising its annual four-day seminar for all Referees and Assistant referees at the Conference Hall, Centenary Stadium, Ta Qali. The main speaker is Mr R. Bjornestad, who is a member of UEFA's Referees Board.
The seminar will deal with various topics relating to the game and the inter-relationship between coaches, officials and the media before and during the match. There will also be a tactical session, a talk on dealing with emergency cases and two Workshops, followed by group reports.
Mr Bjornestad will speak on communication between the referee and his assistants, determining the offside, fair and unfair challenges, reading the game and uniformity of instructions in pre-match talk.
Besides the opening address from the MFA President, Dr Joe Mifsud, other speakers in the seminar will be Mr Tom Restall, Head, MFA Referees Department, Journalist Mr Simon Farrugia, National Coach Mr Horst Heese, Ms M. Balzan (Physchologist) and Dr S. Zammit MD.
Dr Joe Mifsud will deliver the closing address. The event is scheduled to come to an end on Sunday 25th July at 11:45.
Wed 21
- Champions League FBK Kauas vs Sliema W. 4-1
- The Michael Mifsud-saga should come to an end in the beginning of next week when the Sliema Wanderers striker arrives in Norway to join Lillestrųm SK.
The deal seemed to have fallen through a couple of weeks ago when Sliema refused to issue the international clearance.
The transfer has been delayed due to a financial struggle between the club and Mifsud. The differences have now been settled and Mifsud will be playing his last game for Sliema Wanderers on Wednesday against FBK Kaunas.
Lillestrųm president Per Mathisen announced the player will be making his debut in the home game against Tromsų on August 1st.
Speaking to the club's official website, Mathiesen said he spoke with Mifsud on the phone on Friday. "He is eager to return to LSK after his trial a while back. Now he is looking forward to fighting for a position in the team. He is also looking forward to moving to Norway. "
"I think Mifsud will be a fine addition to the squad, and I am pleased the deal has now come true".
Interviewed by Romerikes Blad, Mathisen denied there were any serious problems or that the deal had fallen through.
"They (Sliema and Mifsud) disagreed on the financial matters. Supposedly, he played the game to make it easier to reach a deal with the club. Mifsud is still a Sliema player and had every right to play the game, since the transfer hasn't been completed yet. But he is working with the club to secure his move to Norway."
Per Mathisen said LSK will not be interested in paying money to ensure that the transfer can go through, as they already had a deal with Mifsud. The only remaining thing is that Mifsud reaches an agreement with Sliema.
Lillestrųm are currently third in the Norwegian Eliteserien with 23 points from 14 matches, five points behind leaders Tromsų and three behind Rosenborg.
- First Division side Senglea Athletic are strenthened their squad in a bid to win promotion to the Premier League next season. In fact, over the past days, they secured the services of Malcolm Tirchett and Kenneth Abela from Hibernians and Kevin Mifsud from Floriana. The three players were on loan with other clubs last season.
Senglea also managed to sign George Attard (formerly of San Gwann), Clive Pulis (ex-St. Georges) and Erin Azzopardi (ex-Hibs), who was on loan with the club for the past three years.
Meanwhile in the coming days, another two players are expected to join Senglea - Silvio Sciberras from St. Georges and Leonid McKay from Valletta.
- The Malta Football Association will be organizing a course for Futsal (5-a-side Indoor Football) Referees in September/October 2004.
Applications from interested persons between 18 and 40 years of age will be considered by the Head Referees' Department of the MFA at 280, St. Paul Street, Valletta, by not later than the 31st July, 2004.
Tue 20
- With qualification to the second qualifying round of the Champions League looking out of reach, Sliema Wanderers will be aiming to obtain at least a positive result when they visit the Darius Girenas Stadium to face FBK Kaunas.
The Blues were a disappointing lot as they suffered a 0-2 defeat in the first leg at Ta' Qali last week.
However their task on Wednesday is not easy as a number of players are ruled out from the game. Captain Noel Turner is injured, Carlo Mamo and Joseph Farrugia were unable to travel with the squad while Ian Ciantar has now been transferred to Floriana.
But on a plus note, Joe Brincat will return for Sliema after serving a one-match ban.
Michael Mifsud will be making one final appearance for Sliema before he joins Lillestrom next Monday.
Mon 19
- MFA president Dr Joe Mifsud said it was his duty to contest the presidency of the Malta Football Association in order not to allow the good work that had been done in the past years get ruined.
Dr Mifsud was speaking in the traditional address by the MFA president on the occasion of the last Council meeting of the season.
The MFA president spoke in detail about the work carried out over the past twelve months by the Council. These included legislative work such as the amendments to important regulations covering players registered with clubs, the players' status, competition rules, coaches, the youth league, youth football, doping, licensing of member clubs and licensing of youth nurseries.
However what was undoubtedly the most difficult task were the amendments that had to be made following Malta's EU accession and how the Malta Football Association tried to protect youth football.
Dr Joe Mifsud said that although these regulations were subject to criticism, "we are moving in the right direction." He spoke in detail about how Italy is dealing with the issue.
The CONI (the Italian Olympic Committee) adapted measures which are in line with those adapted by the MFA. Although the Education and Culture Commissioner Vivienne Redding, who is also in charge of sports, was quick to point out that these regulations breached EU laws, the CONI challenged this issue. The CONI firmly stated that, according to their lawyers, this is not true and they are ready to discuss the matter in the Court of Justice.
Even the president of the Republic of Italy Carlo Azeglio Ciampi is supporting CONI on the matter as the latter tries to protect home-grown players. CONI chief Gianni Petrucci is now seeking support from the Italian MEPs.
The MFA president then spoke about the social function of football, something which many seem not to be aware of. "By giving children from a very young age, the chance to play football, we are not only aiming at having better players but also better citizens."
Dr Mifsud argued that unlike what many people claim, the Malta Football Associations is one of the most democratic associations on the island. All member clubs and member associations have their representatives in the Council and their delegates elect those who want to represent them in the Executive Committee.
But it is not the Executive Committee who decides all issues as these are discussed in the Council and it is not the first time that motions which were brought in front of the Council were defeated even if they were proposed by the Executive Committee. A case in point is the recent attempt to change the format of the National League - from the Premier to the Third Division.
He went on to say that he is aware that there may be other contestants for the post of president. "What made me accept the several nominations by clubs and member associations is not the possibility of some new appointment locally or abroad as these have already been achieved but the sense of duty as I feel I still have a lot to contribute both locally and abroad."
Dr Joe Mifsud has served the Malta Football Association for the past 22 years in the top two posts, including twelve years as president. He has also served for the past 20 years in FIFA and UEFA Committees. In fact, he was a member of the FIFA Executive for two years and a member of the UEFA Executive for ten years.
He spoke about the association's achievements over these past twelve years under his presidency, namely the headquarters, two stadia, the training grounds, a Premier League where most of the teams play 28 matches per season, a licensing system, regular courses for referees and coaches similar to those held by other FAs and the contributions of millions of liri obtained from FIFA and UEFA.
The MFA president concluded, "I would not like to allow the good work done in the past years get ruined. I am not promising anything to individuals but just to work for the good of the game in an impartial manner by fighting corruption and improving the level of the game, amongst other matters."
- The Malta Football Association will be organizing once again the Reserves League next season.
The Reserves League was scrapped at the end of season 2001/02 due to the lack of interest shown by a number of clubs, especially from the top divisions, in this competition.
However the idea of organizing a reserves' league was raised once again during a meeting of the Council of the Malta Football Association earlier this season. It was then decided that if there was a minimum of eight clubs ready to take part.
Nine clubs have applied so far and therefore the league will be organized once again.
The format will be discussed in once of the coming meetings of the Council.
- Three amendments to the statute of the Malta Football Association which were presented by Sliema Wanderers were not accepted.
The Wanderers were hoping these amendments were going to be discussed in the MFA Annual General Meeting on July 31.
However although these amendments were presented in time, these did not carry the precise wording and did not even include the articles they referred to.
On the other hand, another amendment which was presented by the Premier League side called for the deletion of article 44. This amendment was accepted and will be discussed.
- FIFA have ordered Hamrun Spartans to pay Sinisa Radak Lm 2,000 by the end of August.
The Serbian midfielder had written to the international body after the Spartans had failed to honour a decision of the Malta Football Association Players and Coaches' Complaints Board.
Radak played for seven years in Malta. After joining Naxxar Lions in 1995 from Yugoslav side OFK Belgrade, he moved to Valletta in 1999 where he stayed for just one season.
In season 2000/01, Radak joined Hamrun Spartans. He played two years for the Spartans.
Sun 18
- The Sliema Wanderers squad leaves Malta on Monday, destination Lithuania, where they face champions FBK Kaunas at the Darius Girenas Stadium in Kaunas. Losing 0-2 at Ta' Qali, the Blues' chances of reaching the next round are next to zero as they need to score three goals to eliminate Kaunas.
Captain Noel Turner will miss the trip as he is recovering from an injury he suffered in the Euro Cup match against Birkirkara and which he aggravated in the first leg against Kaunas. Joseph Farrugia will not travel to Lithuania as well due to work-commitments while Carlo Mamo is also missing.
Joe Brincat, on the other hand, will return for the Wanderers after serving a one-match ban.
The squad is therefore made up of just 15 players:
goalkeepers Murphy Akanji and Ernest Barry;
defenders Kris Laferla, Brian Said, Jeffrey Chetcuti, Lee Lombardi, Alex Muscat, Pierre Grima;
midfielders Joe Brincat, Stefan Giglio, Kevin Sammut, Rupert Mangion and
strikers Orosco Anonam, Danilo Doncic and Michael Mifsud.
The winners of the clash between Sliema and Kaunas will be meeting Swedish side Djurgården IF in the second qualifying round.
Sat 17
- Former Malta international defender Darren Debono could be the next in a series of players to leave Valletta FC after requesting a transfer. Debono's request arrives just a few days after another experienced Valletta player Daniel Theuma made a similar request.
From last season's squad, the Citizens lost Ivan Zammit and Jamie Pace who joined Marsaxlokk, although the latter was only on loan with the club. Nenad Veselji and Massimo Grima were on loan from Sliema and Valletta are hoping to retain the former Malta Under 21 midfielder.
The only new signing so far is that of influential Czech midfielder Jaroslav Marx from Balzan Youths. The other foreigners will be Bulgarian defender Todor Simeonov and midfielder Milen Penchev. Serbian midfielder Nebjosa Stajic was released.
Keith Fenech and Jerryton Agius are now back with Valletta after being on loan with Pietą Hotspurs and Gzira United respectively. Kurt Farrugia will be staying with the club after being on loan from Pietą while Edward Azzopardi and Sharlon Pace will stay with the Hotspurs.
Fri 16
- The Malta Football Association issued a statement following comments passed by Sliema Wanderers president Robert Arrigo MP just after the UEFA Champions League first qualifying round match between Sliema Wanderers and FBK Kaunas on July 13.
When asked for comments by a journalist, Arrigo said "The MFA had the better as they gained Lm 5,000."
The Malta Football Association points out that thanks to their participation in the competition, Sliema Wanderers will receive 230,000 Swiss Francs (around Lm 61,000) from UEFA. They would not receive such amount had the Malta Football Association not used its funds to keep the National Stadium in a good condition. Had the Malta Football Association not provided the National Stadium, Sliema Wanderers would have not obtained a UEFA Licence which made them eligible to take part in the competition.
The statement concludes: "Such remarks were out of place and do not do any honour to whoever passes such remarks."
- Pietą Hotspurs have secured the services of Sharlon Pace and Edward Azzopardi from Valletta. The two players were already on loan with Pietą last season.
The Hotspurs paid a transfer fee for the signing of the former Gzira United midfielder. On the other hand, Azzopardi, formerly of Rabat Ajax, joins Pietą in exchange for Kurt Farrugia who will be therefore making his move to Valletta a permanent one.
Pietą, now under the guidance of Bulgarian coach Georgi Deanov, had already signed Sliema Wanderers striker Stefan Zahra, who was on loan with Lija Athletic, Hamrun Spartans and Balzan Youths, over the past three years.
Branko Nisevic has been confirmed as one of the foreigners. Joining him will be two Bosnian players from FK Sarajevo - Senad Repuh and young Ortas Sanin. Repuh is a Bosnian international player and played in Russia for Sokol Saratov and in Turkey for Bursaspor.
Repuh and Ortis replace Italian defender Mauro Di Lello and Cameroon striker Alain Ekwe, who were both released.
Thu 15
- UEFA Cup FK Partizani Tirana vs Birkirkara 4-2, Marsaxlokk vs NK Primorje 0-1
- Michael Degiorgio is the new coach of First Division side Hamrun Spartans. Last season, Degiorgio formed part of the staff coaches at the MFA Technical Centre.
- All the 49 clubs members of the Malta Football Association were issued a licence by the independent Licencing Board.
In fact, four clubs which were yet without a licence were issued with one just before the final deadline of July 15. These four clubs were First Division sides Hamrun Spartans, Marsa and Naxxar Lions and Mgarr United from Division 3.
Thirteen clubs - including seven who applied for a UEFA licence - were issued with a license as they satisfied all criteria, 26 were issued with a license but they still need to satisfy one or more conditions while the others received a license but had a transfer-prohibition imposed on them.
Wed 14
- Ian Ciantar and Claude Mattocks moved in opposite directions after the two clubs reached an agreement over one-year loan deals.
Mattocks will be playing for champions Sliema Wanderers while Ciantar will be joining Floriana.
Ciantar, whose brother Clifton already plays for the Greens, had a most unlucky season with the Blues. An injury in the FA Trophy final in May 2003 ruled him out for several months. He returned in March but made just four appearances as he suffered another injury. This season, Ciantar did not seem to feature in Edward Aquilina's plans and was in fact left on the bench in the three matches played so far. He made his debut for Sliema in season 1995-96 and has always played for them since then.
Claude Mattocks was the Floriana captain during the last season. He made his first appearance for the Greens in season 1996-1997 but only gained a regular place since 1999. Mattocks made his debut for the national team in December in a friendly against Poland. He collected four national team caps.
On the other hand, Ciantar is currently not part of the national squad. He made ten appearances for Malta.
- Thursday will be a historic day for Marsaxlokk FC as they will be playing for the first time in one of the UEFA competitions. Something they would not have even dreamed of just five or six years ago.
Marsaxlokk host NK Primorje of Slovenia in the first leg of the first qualifying round of the UEFA Cup at the National Stadium, kick-off at 20:00.
The club will be tasting the first European experience but some of their players are definitely not new to European competitions. Captain David Carabott, Richard Buhagiar and Ivan Zammit all boast considerable experience in such competitions.
A major boost for the Southseasiders is the recovery of Daniel Bogdanovic who missed the Euro Challenge Cup due to an injury. All the other players are available, leaving the full squad at the disposal of coach Atanas Marinov.
NK Primorje Ajdovscina placed sixth in the Championship Pool in Slovenia. However they qualified for the UEFA Cup as the league runners-up Olimpija Ljubljana, fourth-placed FC Koper and fifth-placed Mura Murska Sobota all failed to obtain a UEFA license.
This is the third participation for Primorje in UEFA competitions. In the Cup Winners Cup 1997/98, they eliminated Union Luxembourg, beating them 2-0 and 1-0 in the Preliminary Round. In the first round they managed to eliminate AIK Stockholm beating them 1-0 in Sweden and sharing the spoils in a 1-1 draw in Slovenia. However in the second round, they lost 0-2 and 0-4 to Roda JC Kerkrade of the Netherlands.
Two years ago, in the preliminary round of the UEFA Cup, they managed to beat Zvartnots Yerevan of Armenia 6-1 in Slovenia, however losing 0-2 away from home. In the first round, they suffered two defeats to Wisla Kraków of Poland 0-2 and 1-6.
The only clash between teams from Malta and Slovenia took place in season 1992/93 when NK Maribor Branik beat Hamrun Spartans 4-0 in the first leg of the Cup Winners Cup qualifying round. Hamrun won the second leg at Ta' Qali 2-1.
The match will be controlled by Albanian referee Albano Janku. He will be assisted by Alfred Lamge and Eduard Miho and fourth official Sokol Cekaj.
The second leg will be played at the portni Park of Nova Gorica on Thursday 29, kick-off at 19:00.
- Being seeded, Birkirkara could have been more lucky in the draw of the UEFA Cup qualifying round had they avoided Partizani Tirana of Albania. In fact, the record of Maltese clubs against Albanian teams is not positive at all as a Maltese team is yet to eliminate an Albanian clubs in one of the UEFA competitions.
Partizani host Birkirkara at the Qemal Stafa Stadium in Tirana on Thursday, kick-off at 18:00.
The Birkirkara squad arrived in Albania on Monday and coach Stephen Azzopardi took the opportunity to organise a mini-training camp in Tirana for the 20 players in squad.
The only player who did not travel with the squad was Clint Micallef as he had to stay in Malta due to work-commitments. Matthew Calascione, on the other hand, will be unavailable as he is not due to recover in time for the game. Chucks Nwoko, Lino Galea and Kenneth Scicluna should be able to make it for the game although they were all recovering from injuries.
FK Partizani Tirana Partizani placed fourth last season but managed to win the Albanian Cup after defeating Dinamo Tirana 1-0 in the final. This was their fifteenth success in the cup. They won the championship fifteen times, the last time being in 1992/93.
Since the end of last season, Partizani lost important players such as Brazilian Abilio, Muzaka, Ahmataj and Behari but managed to sign Teuta defender Arjan Zėre, SK Tirana midfielder Sokol Bulku and Bekim Kuli from Besa while Emiliano Ēela returned after being on loan with another club. The only foreigner in the squad is Brazilian defender Marcelo Brachini. The other top players in the squad are goalkeeper Blendi Nallbani, national team defender Henri Ndreka, Ardit Beqiri, Sokol Bulku and Skerdi Bejzade.
Partizani took part 16 times in UEFA competitions. They played 31 matches, obtaining five wins and six draws, reaching a second round once when in season 1970/71, they managed to eliminate Åtvidabergs FF of Sweden with an aggregate score of 3-1.
For the record, there were five occasions when clubs from Malta and Albania were drawn together.
Dinamo Tirana eliminated Hamrun Spartans (aggregate 1-0) in the UEFA Cup 1985/86. In the Cup Winners Cup 1987/88, Vllaznia Shkodėr eliminated Sliema Wanderers with an aggregate score of 6-0. Then it was the turn of SK Tirana to eliminate Hamrun Spartans in the Champions Cup 1988/89 (2-1 for Hamrun at home, 2-0 for SK in Tirana) and Sliema Wanderers in the Champions Cup 1989/90 (1-0 for Sliema at Ta' Qali, 5-0 for SK in Tirana). Two years ago, Teuta Durres defeated Valletta 2-1 in the first leg of the Intertoto Cup first round at the Hibs Ground. In the return leg which was played at the Qemal Stafa Stadium in Tirana - the same one where Partizani will host Birkirkara, Valletta and Teuta shared the spoils in a goalless draw.
The match between FK Partizani Tirana and Birkirkara FC will be controlled by Portugese referee Joaquim Paulo Paraty Da Silva. He will be assisted by assistant referees José Carlos Neves Ramalho and Joao Ferreira Dos Santos and fourth official Paulo Jorge Lourenēo Batista.
The second leg will be played at Ta' Qali on Thursday 29, kick-off at 20:00.
Tue 13
- Champions League Sliema Wanderers vs FBK Kaunas 0-2
- Coach J.J. Aquilina is preparing the Malta Amateurs side which will participate in the forthcoming UEFA Regions Cup mini-tournament which will be held in Slovenia between the 20th and 24th September, 2004.
England, Northern Ireland and hosts Slovenia are the other members in the group.
Malta plays Northern Ireland on Monday 20, Slovenia on Wednesday 24 and England on Friday 26.
The players currently training with the Malta Amateurs are the following:
Robert Adami (Vittoriosa S.), Brian Bonello (Gzira U.), Marlon Briffa (Mqabba), Chris Calleja (Mqabba), Justin Camilleri (Vittoriosa S.), Paul Camilleri (Lija A.), Jonathan Debono (Birkirkara), Clive Formosa (St. Patrick), Bruce Genovese (Zebbug R.), Tyrone Ghirxi (Senglea A.), Stephen Magri (Melita), Gilbert Martin (Marsa), Mano Micallef (Floriana), John Paul Muscat (Mqabba), Eliott Navarro (Lija A.), Matthew Portelli (Gozo FC), Mark Psaila (Mqabba), George Saliba (Zebbug R.), Alex Tramboo (Gozo FC), Ivan Zammit (Naxxar L.).
- Malta international referee Adrian D. Casha will be controlling the UEFA Cup first qualifying round match beween AC Omonia Nicosia of Cyprus and FK Sloga Jugomagnat of FYR Macedonia on Thursday 15th July at the GSP Stadium in Nicosia.
Casha will be assisted by Philip Agius and Charles Micallef as Assistant Referees while Chris Lautier will be the Fourth Official.
Mon 12
- MFA president Dr Joe Mifsud said the new regulations with regards to registration of players and the amendments to the Competition Rules were meant to create balance between clubs. Changes that were unanimously approved by the Council of the Malta Football Association.
Dr Mifsud was speaking during a press conference which preceded the draws for the National Leagues - Premier, First, Second and Third Division - and the Second & Third Division Knock-Out which were held on Monday at the Centenary Hall, Ta' Qali.
Mifsud introduced the draw by saying that explaining the importance of the licensing process which was introduced a few years ago. He said that the situation of some clubs could have been worse had the Malta Football Association not started stressing on the fact that everything had to be in order.
The MFA president explained that the teams in the draws were those qualifying on sporting merit. However four clubs were still without an operating license and if this was not issued by Thursday, their places would be taken by other clubs. Mifsud said that abroad, it has now become common practice for clubs not obtaining an operating license to be relegated to lower divisions.
MFA vice-president John Farrugia later revealed that First Division sides Hamrun, Marsa and Naxxar Lions were still without a license while Mgarr United had only applied last week. Hamrun, Marsa and Naxxar need a Semi-Professional B License to take part in Division 1. Thirteen clubs were issued with a license as they satisfied all criteria, 26 were issued with a license but they still need to satisfy one condition while another six received a license but had a transfer-prohibition imposed on them.
As expected, the MFA president spoke in detail about the changes brought about by the new regulations with regards to registration of players and the amendments to the Competition Rules following Malta's EU accession.
Dr Mifsud said the association aimed at having a means to safeguard youth football.
"The MFA had to be careful not to allow a big influx of foreigners in the beginning and then be forced to try to find a solution for the problem."
"Foreigners in the Bundesliga amount to 65% while the percentage of foreigners in the Serie A and the Premier League is more or less similar. To solve this problem, CONI head Petrucci put forward a proposal for a 50% Italian athletes in each team. Something which is illegal."
The European Union acknowledged the specificity of sport with an Article in the new Constitution which will have to be approved by 2006.
Keeping this in mind, the amended MFA regulations are meant to safeguard Maltese football. Dr Mifsud stressed that these were for the common good as the MFA aimed at creating balance between the clubs.
"Had we not introduced such regulations, young players would have found it difficult to make a breakthrough in one of the top local clubs. We would be giving the wrong message whereas we want to project the idea that sport is one of the solutions for problems in the society."
"Children no longer play football in the streets. For this reason, UEFA launched a project which helps associations develop grounds where children could play football."
The MFA president said that a prototype artificial pitch has been installed at Ta' Qali for this purpose. Discussions with local councils and nurseries will take place so that similar grounds will be installed.
The UEFA Executive has now received the go-ahead to introduce new regulations for UEFA competitions as from 2005/06 which are based on the same principle of the amended MFA regulations. According to these regulations which are being discussed by UEFA, clubs should have three or four club products in their squads and there should be a minimum of four players coming from that country.
"This confirms that we are on the right track," concluded Dr Mifsud.
- Champions Sliema Wanderers take on Msida St. Joseph, Birkirkara face Marsaxlokk and Valletta take on eternal rivals Floriana in the Premier League which kicks-off on September 7. This emerged from the draws for the National League 2004/05 which was held during a press conference at the Centenary Hall, Ta' Qali.
Another derby in the opening day is the one between newly-promoted St. Patrick and Hibernians. The other team promoted from Division 1, Lija Athletic, face Pietą Hotspurs in the other game.
The Premier League 2004/05 will kick-off rather late next season as the first two matches will be played on Tuesday September 7th. This is due to the fact that Malta will be playing the first World Cup qualifier against Sweden on September 4.
For the second time in three years, the Malta Football Association failed in trying to find a sponsor for the Premier League and the other leagues after that last year, the league was sponsored by the MIA.
The Premier League first phase comes to an end on February 13th. The second phase gets underway on February 19. The final league match will be played on May 8.
- The First Division League kicks-off on September 5 and comes to an end on May 15. The derby between Marsa and Hamrun Spartans is undoubtedly the most attractive fixtures. The other matches for Day 1 are St. George's vs Naxxar L., Mqabba vs Balzan Y., Mosta vs Senglea A. and Gozo FC vs San Gwann.
There could be some changes in the fixtures in the lower divisions as three First Division clubs and one from Division 3 have not obtained an operating licence yet. For a club to take part in Division 1, it needs a Semi-Professional B licence, a licence which Hamrun Spartans, Marsa and Naxxar Lions have not obtained yet.
- In Division 2, the fixtures for Day 1 are: Vittoriosa S. vs Qormi, Tarxien R. vs Sta. Venera L., Melita vs Rabat A., Dingli vs Mellieha, St. Andrews vs Zebbug R., Gzira U. vs Attard. The first matches from the Second Division League will be played on September 25 with the league coming to an end on May 9.
The Third Division league sees the addition of a new club, Kalkara. They play their first match against Xghajra Tornadoes. The other fixtures in the opening matches are: Siggiewi vs Gudja U., Luqa SA vs Sirens, Zurrieq vs Ta' Xbiex, Kirkop U. vs Mgarr U., Birzebbuga SP vs Zejtun C., Gharghur vs Fgura U., Sta. Lucia vs Pembroke A., Ghaxaq bye. The first matches in Division 3 will be played on September 26.
The draws for the Second & Third Division Knock-Out were also made on Monday. The competition gets underway on September 5 and will be over on September 21st.
Group 1: Vittoriosa S., Tarxien R., Siggiewi, Kalkara
Group 2: Qormi, Rabat A., Xghajra T., Sirens
Group 3: Sta. Venera L., Dingli S., Luqa SA, Ta' Xbiex
Group 4: Melita, Mellieha, Zurrieq, Mgarr U.
Group 5: St. Andrews, Gudja U., Sta. Lucia, Ghaxaq
Group 6: Zebbug R., Kirkop U., Zejtun C.
Group 7: Gzira U., Birzebbuga SP, Fgura U.
Group 8: Attard, Gharghur, Pembroke A.
- Sliema Wanderers and Malta international midfielder Stefan Giglio was presented with the Footballer of the Year award during the annual Honours Ceremony of the Malta Football Association which was held at the Millennium Stand on Monday.
Among the various awards which were presented were those for the best players, top scorers, fair play awards. Other awards were presented as part of the UEFA Golden Jubilee and the FIFA Centennial celebrations.
Best Players Awards:
Footballer of the Year - 1. Giglio Stefan (Sliema W.); 2. Darmanin Saviour (Pieta' H.); 3. Chetcuti Jeffrey (Sliema W.); 4. Turner Noel (Sliema W.); 5. Woods Ivan (Pieta' H.)
First Division - 1. Saliba Antonio (San Gwann); 2. Lanzon Giles (Lija A.); 3. Sciberras Charles (Mosta); 4. Micallef Michael (Rabat A.); 5. Calleja Chris (Mqabba)
Second Division - 1. Camilleri John (Gozo); 2. Genovese Bruce (Zebbug R.); 3. Xuereb Keith (Vittoriosa S.); 4. Borg St. John Wayne (Mellieha); 5. Camilleri Chris (Gozo)
Third Division - 1. Farrugia Neville (Birzebbuga S.P.); 2. Buttigieg Mark (Sta. Venera L.); 3. Grima Kurt (Sta. Lucia); 4. Magri Steve (Melita); 5. Saliba Joseph (Qormi)
Youth League - 1. Ciantar Paolo (Rabat A.); 2. Borg St. John Wayne (Mellieha); 3. Schembri Andre (Hibernians); 4. Zammit Ian (Valletta); 5. Frendo Cleaven (Pieta' H.)
Women's League - 1. Azzopardi Maria (Melita); 2. Tonna Dionne (Hibernians); 3. Theuma Dorianne (Hibernians); 4. Coates Jane (Mosta); 5. D'Agostino Rebecca (Birkirkara)
Futsal League - 1. Guzi Xuereb (Hibernians); 2. Anthony Farrugia (Konica Gunners); 3. Carmel Busuttil (Konica Gunners).
Fair Play Awards:
Premier League - 1. Hamrun Spartans, 2. Balzan Youths, 3. Hibernians
First Division - 1. Tarxien Rainbows, 2. Lija Athletic, 3. Mqabba
Second Division - 1. Zejtun Corinthians, 2. St. Andrews, 3. Zurrieq
Third Division - 1. Gudja United, 2. Ghaxaq, 3. Sta. Venera Lightenings and Pembroke Athleta
Youth League - 1. Pietą Hotspurs, 2. Mosta, 3. Lija Athletic
Women's League - 1. Mosta, 2. Hibernians, 3. Birkirkara and Melita
Overall - 1. Gudja United, 2. Tarxien Rainbows, 3. St. Andrews.
Top Scorers:
Premier League - 1. Danilo Doncic (Sliema) 19 goals, 2. Etienne Barbara (Marsaxlokk) 15 goals, 3. Michael Galea (Birkirkara) 14 goals
First Division - 1. Ikechukwu Chibueze (Mqabba) 18 goals, 2. Chima Dozie (Naxxar) 15 goals, 3. Simon Shead (Tarxien) 13 goals
Second Division - 1. John Camilleri (Gozo) 22 goals, 2. Chris Ciappara (Attard) 18 goals, 3. Robert Guzman (St. Andrews) 15 goals
Third Division - 1. Michael Borg Olivier (Qormi) 17 goals, 2. Alistair Camilleri (Kirkop) 14 goals, 3. Carmel Formosa (Qormi) and Jeffrey Zammit (Sta. Venera) 10 goals
Women's League - 1. Dorianne Theuma (Hibs) 22 goals, 2. Sarah Caruana (Hibs) 17 goals, 3. Rebecca D' Agostino (Birkirkara) 15 goals.
Former national team player and current Malta national team assistant coach Carmel Busuttil received an award after being nominated as the best Maltese player for the past fifty years as part of the UEFA Golden Jubilee celebrations.
Ten football personalities received the UEFA Certificate of Merit for the long service to football as part of the 50th Anniversary of UEFA. The persons nominated in the respective categories were:
Club President - Mr Tony Bezzina (Hibernians);
International Referee - Mr Lawrence Sammut (FIFA Referee); National Coach - Mr Victor Scerri (ex-Malta National Coach); National Team Player - David Carabott (122 appearances for Malta); Council Member - Mr Ronnie Tabone (Melita); Match Inspector - Mr Watty Gatt; Club Secretary - Mr Joe Farrugia (Secretary - Kirkop United); Kit Manager - Mr Carmel Gauci (National Team Kit Manager); Nursery Official - Mr Carmelo Farrugia (B'Bugia Windmills) and Official from a Member Association - Mr Paul Borg Inguanez (President - Inter Amateur Soccer Competition).
Joe Cassar Naudi, ex-referee and member of the Executive Committee, received a memento after being nominated for the FIFA Centennial Order of Merit for services rendered to the Game.
Other trophies to be presented were those for competitions which were not presented to the teams on the field of play.
These included the trophies for the winners of the various sections, the championship and knock-out of the Futsal competions. The winners were:
First Division Champions - RBSM
First Division Runners-Up - El Mundos
Second Division Section A Winners - Hibernians
Second Division Section B Winners - Chempro
Third Division Section A Winners - Konica Gunners
Third Division Section B Winners - Jeepers
Third Division Section C Winners - AC Trampi
Futsal Knock-Out - Konica Gunners
Jeffrey Chetcuti of Sliema Wanderers was also presented with the Euro Challenge Cup after the Blues claimed the pre-season competition last Friday.
- Champions Sliema Wanderers will be aiming for a win as they host Lithuanian champions FBK Kaunas in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League first qualifying round on Tuesday, kick-off at 18:00.
Last season, when facing opponents from another Baltic state - Skonto Riga of Latvia, the Blues reached the second round following a 2-0 win at the Hibs Ground and a 1-3 defeat in Riga. The Wanderers qualified on the away-goals rule.
The morale of Edward Aquilina's side is high after they claimed the Euro Challenge Cup last week. The return of Michael Mifsud from Norway was a major boost for the team. However Aquilina is a bit worried over the fitness of Noel Turner and Stefan Giglio. Joe Brincat is ruled out through suspension.
Turner left the pitch injured in the game against Birkirkara and then missed the second match against Marsaxlokk. On the other hand, Giglio sustained an injury in the last game.
FBK Kaunas dominated the local scene in Lithuania over the past years having won the championship for the past five years. They were earlier known as Zalgiris Kaunas.
In recent years, FBK Kaunas managed to reach the second qualifying round of the Champions League twice. In 2001, they eliminated Brotnjo Citluk (Bosnia-Herzegovina) on a 4-3 aggregate but then lost 4-1 on aggregate to Glasgow Rangers, holding them 0-0 in Lithuania. Last season, they also managed to qualify beating HB Torshavn of the Faroe Islands 1-0 and 4-1 but then lost to Celtic 0-4 and 0-1.
This is only the second time that teams from Malta and Lithuania were drawn together. In 1993, Floriana were drawn against FK Ekranas in the qualifying round of the Champions League. The Greens won both legs 1-0.
FBK Kaunas are once again managed by Senderis Girsovicius. Girsovicius, who led the club to their first league title in 1999, replaced Belarussian Sergei Borovskiy, just days before the Lithuanian A Lyga kicked-off in April.
After playing 12 matches, Kaunas lead the table with 27 points, two ahead of Ekranas.
The second leg will be played at the Darius Girenas Stadium in Kaunas on Wednesday 21. The winners of the clash between Sliema and Kaunas will be meeting Swedish side Djurgården IF in the second qualifying round.
- Former Valletta president Joe Caruana Curran is expected to run for the presidency of the Malta Football Association.
This would therefore be the first time current MFA president Dr Joe Mifsud will be contested over the past 12 years.
He was first elected as MFA president for the first time on July 23, 1992, succeeding Dr George Abela. Dr Mifsud, who had occupied the post of Senior Vice-President during Dr Abela's ten-year term of office, is a member of the UEFA Executive Committee and was earlier a member of the FIFA Executive Committee.
Caruana Curran had resigned last June from the Valletta FC committee, shortly after being re-elected to the committee. He was the president of Valletta FC for 18 years. He was the mastermind behind Valletta's success in the 80s and 90s leading the Citizens to wining all major honours on various occasions including the complete sweep of honours in seasons 1996/97 and 2000/01.
Sun 11
- A 20-man Birkirkara squad leaves Malta on Monday, destination Albania, where the Stripes face FK Partizani Tirana in the first leg of the UEFA Cup first qualifying round.
The squad includes four players who were ruled out injured in the last match of the Euro Challenge Cup on Friday against Marsaxlokk which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Kenneth Scicluna, Matthew Calascione and Chucks Nwoko who missed both the matches against Sliema and Marsaxlokk and Lino Galea who missed only the last game were included but Clint Micallef will be unable to travel due to work-commitments.
The 20 players travelling to Tirana are therefore:
goalkeepers Justin Haber, Bernard Paris, Andrew Xuereb;
defenders Mark Anthony Bonnici, William Camenzuli, Lucian Dronca, Precious Monye, Roderick Sammut, Kenneth Scicluna;
midfielders Roderick Briffa, Adrian Ciantar, Lino Galea, George Mallia, Chucks Nwoko, Antoine Zahra
forwards Haruna Doda, Matthew Calascione, Michael Galea, Alan Tabone, Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza.
The match will take place at the Qemal Stafa Stadium in Tirana, kick-off at 18:00.
- Sliema Wanderers defender Carlo Mamo could be playing for a short spell for English non-league side Eastleigh FC - a team which plays in the Ryman Football League Premier Division.
Mamo has been accepted by Portsmouth University to attend a 3 year B.Sc. degree in E-commerce and Internet Systems.
Although he will join the course in the second year, as he already holds a Diploma in Computer Studies, thanks to contacts established by Julian Holland and his English counter-part Terry Wateridge, Mamo is still expected to take the opportunity to spend some days playing football in the UK. However most probably he will come back to play in Malta.
According to the Daily Echo, Eastleigh manager Paul Doswell said he is confident the Malta international defender will sign for his club by mid-July. In fact Mamo is expected to leave after playing for the Blues in their Champions League qualifiers against Lithuanian side FBK Kaunas.
- The organising committee of the third edition of the Westin Malta Football Awards launched an SMS-voting question on the hottest issue in the local game: the limit on the number of foreigners.
The result of the vote will be announed during the gala event which will be held on July 31.
The question is: The Malta Football Association has put a limit on the number of foreign players who could play concurrently during a game to three. Do you agree? Yes, send SMS to 50614114 or No ... send SMS to 50614115
Voting is already open and gives you the possibility to win one of around 40 prizes ranging from vouchers for various products to weekend breaks. The most prestigious prizes are however two complete sets of shirts of the ten Premier League clubs and those of the two newly-promoted sides - St. Patrick and Lija Athletic.
Meanwhile, as announced during the launch of the Westin Malta Football Awards, a new song focussing about football will be presented. The song "Ghaliex Nhobbu l-Football" was written by Enzo Guzman and composer Philip Vella. It includes a direct reference to players, coaches, referees, officials and supporters, who will also be singing the song.
Meanwhile tickets for the gala event which will be held at the Westin Dragonara Resort on Saturday July 31 are now on sale from Gilardu Kiosk, Valletta at Lm 5. Otherwise one could call ticket hotline 9946 8001.
Fri 9
- Euro Challenge Cup Birkirkara vs Marsaxlokk 1-1
- Valletta made their first important signing as they secured the services of Czech midfielder Jaroslav Marx.
According to the club's official website www.vallettafcofficial.net, Marx signed a two-year contract.
Marx will be the third foreigner for the Citizens besides Bulgarian duo Milen Penchev and Todor Simeonov. Nebjosa Stajic, who joined the club in January will therefore be released as Penchev and Simeonov are non-EU/EEA players.
Jaroslav Marx had joined Birkirkara in July 2002 but was released at the end of the season. He moved to Balzan Youths last season.
Valletta, now under the guidance of new coach JJ Aquilina are keen to strengthen their squad with the signing of Johann Zammit from Ghaxaq and Sliema youngsters Shaun Tellus and Alex Muscat. Zammit has been on loan with Marsaxlokk for the past two years.
The club is also hoping to make Massimo Grima's move a pemanent one. Grima had joined the Citizens in January on loan from Sliema.
- The deal which should have brought defender Mauro Di Lello to join champions Sliema Wanderers from Pietą Hotspurs seems to have fallen through as the Malta Football Association is refusing to accept the registration of the Italian player.
According to the new MFA regulations, clubs may have an unlimited number of players from EU/EEA countries. However should a club decide to engage foreigners from outside the EU/EEA, the club renounces to the right of engaging an unlimited number of foreigners. The maximum is then reduced to three.
In Sliema's case, Murphy Akanji is Nigerian and Danilo Doncic is a Serb and therefore both come from non-EU/EEA countries. On the other hand, Orosco Anonam, being married to a Maltese, is considered as a EU citizen. Therefore, to register Di Lello, Sliema had to release either Akanji or Doncic. However both players signed new contracts in the past weeks.
Sliema made an attempt to register Di Lello just for the Champions League qualifiers. However the MFA still turned down their request.
- Former Sliema defender Joe Aquilina passed away at the age of 61 last Wednesday.
Aquilina was a one-club man. He then coaches a number of clubs, the last one being Gzira United last season.
Meanwhile one of his former clubs, Senglea Athletic, yesterday issued a short statement to express their sorrow.
The club showed appreciation towards the commitment showed by Aquilina to the game especially his work among youngsters.
- Jeremy Agius was suspended for six months after testing positive during a doping test last April.
Agius, a Valletta player who was on loan with Msida St. Joseph, tested positive in the match against Balzan Youths on April 12.
The results were obtained in May and a temporary suspension was issued a few days later.
Thu 8
- Georgi Deanov has been appointed once again as the coach of Pietą Hotspurs. He replaces Ray 'Zazu' Farrugia who stepped down from his post last month.
This will be the second spell for Deanov at Pietą as he had already coached the Hotspurs for six years until 2001 when he joined Valletta for one year. In the early 90s, Deanov was also the coach of the Malta Under-21 national team.
However his links with Malta go back even further as he played for Zurrieq in the early 80s.
So far, Pietą have signed Stefan Zahra from Sliema and are expected to replace foreigners Di Lello and Ekwe with two players from Bosnia-Herzegovina. Serbian defender Branko Nisevic will be retained.
Wed 7
- Euro Challenge Cup Marsaxlokk vs Sliema W. 2-3
- Romanian defender Lucian Dronca will be playing once again for Birkirkara after reaching an agreement with the club over a one-year deal.
Last month, the Romanian defender had requested the free release from the Malta Football Association and this was granted on the basis of a rule which says that a player who was not paid his salary for two months is given the release.
However he failed to find a new club and in the mean time, foreigners which Birkirkara had brought over for a trial, failed to impress.
- Malta lost another place in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking as published on Wednesday. Malta is now joint 132nd with Palestine.
Among the UEFA countries, Malta is 46th. Just ahead of Malta are Moldova (111, down 3), Northern Ireland (112, down 2), Lithuania (115, down 5), Armenia (118, down 2) and Azerbaijan (119, down 7). Lying behind Malta are the Faroe Islands (136, down 2), Kazakhstan (144, down 4), Andorra (149, down 1), Liechtenstein (153, down 1), Luxembourg (157, down 1) and San Marino (168, down 1).
Following an 8-day training camp in August, Malta will be playing a friendly match against the Faroe Islands on August 18 in Toftir. Malta then hosts Sweden in the first match from the World Cup qualifiers at Ta' Qali on September 4 before playing Iceland at Ta' Qali on October 9 and Bulgaria in Sofia on October 13. A month later, on November 17, Malta hosts Hungary at Ta' Qali.
Tue 6
- The Amateur, Youth and Grassroots Committee of the MFA will be organizing a two-day Seminar on 'Voluntary Leadership' on Friday, 9th July (6.00 - 9.00pm) and Saturday, 10th July, 2004 (9.00am - 1.00pm) at the Centenary Hall, Centenary Stadium at Ta' Qali.
This Seminar is being held under the auspices of UEFA as part of its Golden Jubilee Celebration.
Mr Ludovigo Micallef (MFA V/President and Chairman of the Amateur, Youth and Grassroots Committee), Fr Hilary Tagliaferro (President of the Youth FA) and Mr Mario Vassallo will be among the Speakers during the seminar.
- The Malta Football Association will be organizing a course for Futsal (5-a-side football) Referees in September/October 2004.
Applications from interested persons between 18 to 40 years will be considered by the Head Referees' Department of the MFA, 280 St. Paul Street, Valletta, by not later than the 31st July, 2004.
Mon 5
- Euro Challenge Cup Sliema W. vs Birkirkara 1-1
- Italian defender Mauro Di Lello joined champions Sliema Wanderers from Pietą Hotspurs after signing a three-year contract. This was announced by president Robert Arrigo on the club's official website www.eswfc.com
Di Lello is the fourth foreigner for Sliema besides Murphy Akanji, Danilo Doncic and Orosco Anonam and will be eligible to play for the Blues in next week's UEFA Champions League first qualifying round first leg clash against Lithuanian champions FBK Kaunas.
However in domestic competitions, coach Edward Aquilina will now have to start leaving one of the four players out of the starting line-up as the new MFA competition rules allow only three foreign players on the field of play.
Still, the status of Di Lello is not that clear as according to these rules, a club having non-EU/EEA players may not have more than three foreigners in total.
Mauro Di Lello has been playing for Pietą for the past two years after playing for the Lazio primavera side, Pistoiese, Fano and Giorgione. Last season, he missed a number of matches through injuries but was still one of the best defenders in the Premier League.
Meanwhile Sliema striker Stefan Zahra, who was on loan with Balzan Youths last season, has now joined Pietą Hotspurs in exchange as part of the deal.
Sun 4
- In a statement issued on Sunday the Msida St. Joseph executive committee stated that so far, there is no agreement with Hamrun Spartans on the use of their facilities, not as other sectors of the media had reported. Goveani had in fact said that the two clubs were discussing this possibility and expressed his hope that an agreement is reached so that Msida have adequate training facilities.
- Birkirkara have concluded positively negotiations with another two players who will therefore stay with the club after their contract expired at the end of last season. Kenneth Scicluna signed a three-year contract while Michael Galea extended his stay by another two years.
Kenneth Scicluna has therefore squashed rumours he could move to another club. This will be his sixth year for the Stripes after joining the club in 1999. In his career, he had also played for Luqa St. Andrew's, St. Patrick and Qormi.
Michael Galea, on the other hand, had joined Birkirkara in 1997 from Melita.
Sat 3
- Hamrun Spartans midfielder Roderick Bajada and three Italian players are among the new players who will feature in the coming season for ambitious Msida St. Joseph.
President Roberto Goveani and coach Mario Petrone spoke about the club's plans for the transfer-market and the pre-season during an informal meeting with the press at the Ristorante Sapore di Calabria, Msida on Saturday.
The Saints are working hard in order to strengthen the squad after managing to avoid relegation by a whisker last season. The former Torino president is in fact aiming for a top-six finish in his first season as president of Msida.
From the local market, Msida managed to secure the services of Roderick Bajada, Graham Bencini and Andrei Agius. Another signing could be that of Dragomir Dragonov.
Bencini had joined Sliema Wanderers in January after two-and-a-half years with Hamrun. He had earlier played for Naxxar and Birkirkara, after starting his career with the Wanderers. Andrei Agius, on the other hand, is a Sliema player who enjoyed a successful spell with FK Zemun in Serbia-Montenegro for the past months.
Dragomir Dragonov is a Bulgarian striker who played First Division football with Mosta, Balzan Youths and Senglea Athletic before moving to Gozo where he played for Kercem Ajax. Msida would sign Dragonov if he becomes eligible to play as one of the local players according to the amended MFA Competition Rules.
As regards foreigners, Msida retained Italian defender Manuel Boni. Three new Italian players have already been confirmed for next season. These are Gennaro Troianiello, Patrick Giua and Aldo Gardini.
Troianiello is a 21-year old striker of Neapolitan origins. He formed part of the Verona youth squads and played for Ischia, one of the teams managed by Goveani. Patrick Giua is a 22-year old defender who played for FC Wacker Tirol (formerly known as Tirol Innsbruck) in Austria and Calangianus in the Italian Serie D.
Aldo Gardini is a more experienced player being a 36-year old midfielder having played in the Italian Serie C with Juve Stabia, Matera, Catanzaro, Castrovillari and Chieti. He also played for Calangianus in the Serie D.
Meanwhile Nigerians Daniel Nwoke and Olumuyiwa Aganun are set to leave the island. Aganun leaves tomorrow for a trial with FC Wacker Tirol. On the other hand, Nwoke was due to go for a trial with Lokomotiv Moscow three weeks but visa-problems made it impossible for him to travel.
Vice-president Dr Kevin Deguara announced that other targets for the club are Marsaxlokk duo Roger Walker and Carmel Formosa together with Kevin Borg of Hamrun Spartans.
Goveani revealed that Msida will be hosting two tournaments which will feature teams from Austria and Russia. Another tournament for the youths will be held in Easter.
Msida are currently negotiating with Hamrun Spartans a deal thanks to which they could be using the Victor Tedesco Stadium as their training ground, besides making use of the gymnasium. They could also operate from an office inside the stadium.
Coach Mario Petrone said Msida would be using, in such case, the Victor Tedesco Stadium and the Junior College Ground for their training sessions. The youth teams will be holding their training sessions at the Mater Dei and the Junior College.
Petrone will be assisted by Massimo Capitta who will be the senior team's physical trainer. A former Malta international goalkeeper, whose name was not divulged, will be acting as goalkeepers' coach.
Msida will be going for a two-week training camp in Italy or Austria, starting on July 24. The squad will be back on August 9. The team us then expected to play a couple of friendly matches before the Premier League gets underway on September 7.
- UEFA has announced proposals aimed at fostering the development of homegrown players by European clubs.
The proposals - which will now be put to all major sporting, commercial and political stakeholders in European football - involve the inclusion of a minimum number of at least seven or eight homegrown players out of the 18 players on the match sheets, and a limitation on the number of players in club squads to 25.
The changes proposed by European football's governing body were announced to the presidents and general secretaries of UEFA's 52 member associations at a conference in Lisbon on Saturday. UEFA hopes that the proposed new rules could be introduced for the 2005/06 season on a national and international basis.
The measures would be designed to create a better balance in domestic competitions, prevent clubs from simply "hording players in squads" and create a system whereby homegrown players would be given a greater opportunity to play regularly in club teams - thereby providing a large reservoir of talented players for national teams.
UEFA has expressed concern that clubs are fielding too many foreign players who bar the way to the first team for young players. "Some clubs are fielding teams with eleven foreign players," UEFA vice-president Per Ravn Omdal told the conference. "We have to ask ourselves whether this is a development that is wanted in football."
The proposals are not based on nationality-related issues as UEFA has no intention of violating European Union legislation on, for example, the freedom of movement of labour across borders. It launched its proposals after identifying a number of perceived problem areas including a lack of incentive in player training, a lack of local and regional identity as far as many club teams are concerned, a lack of competitive balance, overstocked squads and concentration of wealth among an élite few clubs in many countries.
"We wanted to first introduce these ideas to the member associations," said Omdal. "In the autumn, we will discuss the proposals within the UEFA bodies, as well as with the players' unions, clubs and leagues, and the European political authorities.
"We think this is a question that should be debated, and we hope to gain as many supporters of our views as possible. We think that it is proper and correct to introduce a limit on squads as well, because you cannot have seven or eight homegrown players in a squad of 40. We think it makes sense to limit squads to 25, as is the case for the European cup competitions."
Mr Omdal said he expected opposition to UEFA's proposals "for individual, selfish reasons". He added: "I think it is the task of a sports body like UEFA to create competitive equality. If you look at the tendency in the different leagues, you find two or three clubs out of 18 are dominating, mainly because of financial power. I think that it is correct to move ahead with proposals which make national leagues competitive. All national leagues need fierce and hard competition."
- Bulgarian coach Georgi Deanov could be appointed once again as the coach of Pietą Hotspurs. He would replace Ray 'Zazu' Farrugia who stepped down from his post last month.
Deanov, together with another Bulgarian coach - former national coach Gentcho Dobrev, are the main candidates for the job.
Deanov had already coached the Hotspurs for seven years between 1994 and 2001. He then moved to Valletta but left Malta one year later.
Meanwhile it seems that two new foreigners from Bosnia-Herzegovina will be joining the club. One of these - Senad Rebuh - is a former international player.
Branko Nisevic will be staying with the club as he is still under-contract. On the other hand, Alain Ekwe and Mauro Di Lello have been released.
- The transfer of Malta international striker Michael Mifsud to Norwegian First Division side Lillestrom seems to have fallen through as Sliema Wanderers stood firm in their decision not to issue the international transfer certificate unless the player refunds money he was paid in advance.
Mifsud left Malta a couple of weeks ago and reached an agreement over a two-and-a-half year deal with the Norwegian side.
According to a clause in the 18-month contract he had signed with Sliema last December, he was free to join another foreign club.
However Sliema were quick to point out that although they were ready to allow him to leave the club, they were not going to issue the international clearance unless they are paid back the amount he was given in advance by the club and sponsors.
Fri 2
- Bulgarian coach Atanas Marinov has been appointed as the mentor of Marsaxlokk FC after agreeing a two-year deal. Marinov will be leading the Southseasiders in their first European adventure in less than two weeks' time when they host NK Primorje of Slovenia.
Marinov quit Valletta in May after just one year with the club, despite signing a two-year contract last year.
After coaching St. Patrick for a number of years, Marinov joined Birkirkara whom he led to their first and only Premier League championship. He then coached Hamrun Spartans.
Meanwhile after signing Jamie Pace and securing David Camilleri's permanent move, Marsaxlokk are set to announce the signing of influential midfielder Ivan Zammit.
The 32-year old former national team player had started his career with Valletta making his Premier League debut with the Citizens in season 1988/89. Following short spells with Zurrieq and Floriana, Zammit played for three years with Hamrun before returning with Valletta in 1993. He stayed four years and then moved to Birkirkara in 1997. He returned with the Citizens mid-way through season 2000/01.
- The ever increasing number of foreign players plying their trade in other countries will be one of the main topics on the agenda when UEFA meets the presidents and general secretaries of its 52 member associations for the latest in a series of regular gatherings on Saturday.
Lars-Christer Olsson, UEFA's Chief Executive, said this week that there were questions that needed to be answered on this issue, and that the Lisbon gathering would be an ideal platform for discussion. "The number of foreign players in the big leagues has to be discussed," said Mr Olsson. "It is probably detrimental to the national teams in those countries."
Mr Olsson gave Germany as an example where the influx of foreign players was having an effect on the development of national teams. "There has been a debate going on in Germany, where they have analysed why it is so difficult to find a striker for the national team. They found that 65 per cent of strikers in Germany are non-Germans - so there are questions to be answered."
The debate is linked to discussions within the European football community about possible ways of enabling home-grown players to have regular action in club first teams without violating European Union legislation on, for example, freedom of movement between different countries. Arguments have been put forward for as many as five home-grown players to be fielded in a team.
"We think there are models which comply with European legislation," said Mr Olsson. "We have to find solutions which are not discriminating on nationality. Perhaps we can come up with clever solutions."
Meanwhile in Italy, the CONI - the Italian Olympic Committee - approved a new regulation which binds clubs to have a minimum of 50% Italian players in their squads as from 2006/2007. CONI claims that this is in accordance with the new EU treaty which acknowledges the specificity of sport.
This regulation, which needs to be ratified by the CONI national council by mid-July, binds only football and basketball clubs as other sport federations in Italy had already adopted similar measures which safeguard the local players.
However the EU Commission was quick to point out that such regulations breach Article 48 of the EEC Treaty. It cited the ruling of the Cour d'Appel of Ličge which stated that "Article 48 of the EEC Treaty precludes the application of rules laid down by sporting associations under which, in matches in competitions which they organize, football clubs may field only a limited number of professional players who are nationals of other Member States."
In May, the council of the Malta Football Association had approved a number of changes to the Competition Rules. According to these changes, although clubs will be able to register an unlimited number of players coming from the EU/EEA, there should be a minimum of eight players local players on the field of play. On the other hand, a club may only have three foreign players, including those coming from the EU/EEA, if it decides to have other foreigners coming from non-EU countries.
The limit on the number of foreigners on the field of play was brought to the attention of the Council of Europe by Robert Arrigo. The Sliema president, who was part of the Maltese delegation participating in a meeting of the committee on culture, science and education, claimed that the MFA regulation breached Article 48 of the EC treaty.
- The MFA Technical Centre will be organising another Instructional Meeting on Monday, 12th July, 2004 for holders of 'CCC', 'YDD' and 'Foundation' License coaches.
This meeting, which will be a theoretical session, will be held at the Centenary Hall, Ta' Qali and will commence at 17:30.