World Soccer - UK (2022-01)

MFAcouncilmemberChrisBonnett

andwantsto bringunity.

“Before,theMFAinvested in the

infrastructure fortheclubsandthat

wasquiteright,” saysVassallo,whose

strategycoveringthe period 2 020-

2024 titled“We CanPerformBetter”

willchangethegameinMalta completely.

Theplan fora clubinSerieC

attractedthemostattention,buthis

mainpriorityistoincreasethe number

ofplayersfromMalta whoareplaying

professionallyoverseas.Traditionally,

thishasbeena majorobstacle.Family

isa majorprioritytothe Malteseand

persuadingyoungplayerstotakea

gambleandleaveis difficult.

Michael Mifsud,whohasa record

143 appearancesfor Malta,playedin

Germany,Scandinavia,Englandand

Australiaandisstill involvedat 40

forMostabutfew othershavecome

closetoemulatingthislocallegend.

ZachMuscatiswithCasaPia in

Portugaland 20 -year-oldAlexander

SatarianojoinedItalianSerie B outfit

Frosinonein 20 21.ForwardKyrian

Nwoko wasalsoloanedbyVallettato

IrishsideStPatrick’s thisseason.

Thenationalteam’s star alsoplays

abroad.TeddyTeuma,whofeatures

forBelgiantop-flightsideUnion

Saint-Gilloise,wasbornin France

buthasa Maltesegrandfather.

Otherreinforcements forMangia’s

sidehavelesstenuouslinks,suchas

thetwoItalians,BirkirkaraFCdefender

EnricoPepeandVallettastrikerMario

Fontanella,whowereboth awarded

citizenshipafterfiveyearsplaying

inthe Malteseleagues.

Thoseshort-termfixeshelped boost

results.“With

thegoodresults

wegot,people

startedto believe,”

saysVassallo,

whoiswidely

believed to want

tostandastheisland’spresidentinthe

future.

Asked if Maltacaneverqualifyfor

a major finals,Vassalloproducesa

politician’sreply. “Whynot?”hesays.

“Ifothershavedoneit,thenwhynot?

Wejustneedtoworkhardwith

eyewitness

28 WOSOCCE

OfVassallo’s“shakenup”proposals,themost

eye-catchingwasaplantoentera teamofMalta’s

bestplayers into theItalianthirdtier, SerieC

Maltalegend...

MichaelMifsud