World Soccer - UK (2022-01)

MALTA

dedicationandhavea plan,butwe
needtobetogether.”
Thatplanisfocusedonraising
standards.Todevelopbetterplayers,
theMFAcreatedregionalhubsinthe
north andsouth of themainislandand
onneighbouringGozo.Thebestyoung
playersget 230 hoursoftraininga year
withnationalcoaches.Vassallohas
madeimportantchanges to win
overtheplayersandthe clubs.
CarloMamo,a formerinternational
andpresidentoftheMaltaFootball
Players’Association,explains:“After
theinsistence andpressuremadeby
MFPAandFIFPro, inJune 2020 the
transferfee at theendofthe contract
andalsoacompensationwhichhad
tobepaidfor youth playerswere
abolished.Thissystem wasphased
outoffootball worldwideafter the
landmarkBosmanruling 24 years
agobutonlynow in Malta.
“MrVassalloalsomadeimportant
changesin thegovernanceofthe
organisation.Upuntila fewmonthsago
theplayersuniondidnothavea voice
andnovotingpowerat federationlevel.
Nowwe have oneseatonthe highest
forum whichisthe executivecommittee
andtheplayerscanvoicetheirconcerns
throughthe playersunion.”
Theclubshavealsoformedtheir
ownassociationaspartofa radical
overhaulofhow clubfootball operates.
Vassallowantsthetop flighttobecome
a “privatisedleague”withtheclubs
takingresponsibility forthecommercial
aspectssuchassponsorshipandTV
rights.Aspart of thesechanges,foreign
investorswillalsobepermitted.
Buyinga Malteseclubisdifficult
asmembersvoteinpresidents,who
canbeejectedbya voteat thenext
election.Asa result,presidents canbe
reticentto investandwithlittlemoney
fromtickets,TVorsponsorship,Maltese
clubshavea precariousexistence.
Periodically, foreigninvestorsarrive
promisingtoput moneyinto Maltese
clubsbutthe results have notbeen
particularlyauspicious.
SyrianbusinessmanYahya Kirdi
hadalreadybeenlinkedwithastring
offailedbidsfor clubsrangingfrom
Liverpoolto Vicenza,CarlisleUnitedand
Englishnon-leagueclubMorpeth,when
hearrivedinMaltain 2 01 7 promisingto
invest in NaxxarLions.Two yearslater,
hetriedtosuethe club’s committee
for€600, 000 ina Canadiancourt.
Onlythisseason,HamrunSpartans
wereexcludedfromthe Champions
Leagueoveramatch-fixingincident
datingback to 2 012 - 13 , whenthe
club’s committeegotinvolvedwith
shadyBulgarianinvestors.Those
investorsarelonggone,but,despite

anappeal,the clubwerestill excluded,

whichwas harshonlocaldeveloper

JosephPortelli,whobecame

Hamrun’spresidentin 2020.

Portellihasspentheavilyonplayers

andveteranIvoryCoastinternational

strikerSeydouDoumbiawasrumoured

tobeonwagesof around€ 10 ,000a

week. Thatwouldbea recordif true,

buttop playerssuchasnationalteam

playerscanstill earn as muchas

€5,000a month.

Openingclubsuptoforeign

investmentmay bringmoremoney

toattractbetter playersfromabroad

anddrive up standards,butinvestors

willwanttoseea wayofmakinga

return.Vassalloiswellawareof what

hashappenedpreviouslyand saysthat

theMFAwillbringina formof Fitand

ProperPersonstestto vetpotential

newownersbeforetheruleschange.

TherearesomeItaliansinvolvedwith

MarsaFCbutthelatest investment

inMaltesefootball hascomefrom

Scotland.Edusport – an academy

basednear Glasgow thattrains

andeducates youngFrenchplayers

• expanded to Maltain October 2021.
  ChrisEwing,whoownsEdusportand
  alsothe Scottishsemi-professionalclub
  Caledonian Braves,says: “Asfaras I was
  concerneditwas a no-brainertoinvest
  there.Maltais in theEuropeanUnion;
  theyallspeakEnglishandtheweather’s
  goodall yearround.
  “Thechallenge is howyou allowthe
  investment.It’sa double-edgedsword
  astheyneedtoimprove thenational
  teambuttheyhavealimitofforeign
  players,whichmayputoff some
  investors.Thegoodthingisthat
  there is a ChampionsLeaguespot.”
  TherecentsuccessinUEFA
  competitionofwell-fundedclubsfrom
  thelikesofGibraltarandLuxembourg
  showsthere is a placeforteamsfrom
  smallerEuropeancountries.Vassallo’s
  ambitionisthatMalta’sclubscanjoin
  themandprovidefurtherimpetusfor
  thenationalteamthatwouldhelphis
  strategypayoff.

WOLDSOCCE 29

Currentcrop...TeddyTeuma(top),ZachMuscat(bottom)andKyrianNwoko(bottomright)