Birkirkara coach Azzopardi gets two-match touchline ban
Failla released from hospital
Stephen Azzopardi will have to watch Birkirkara's next two games from the stands after being slapped with a touchline ban by the Malta FA yesterday.
The Birkirkara coach courted controversy on Monday when he was ordered off the bench by referee Joe Attard in the final minutes of his side's match with Hibs.
With Birkirkara trailing 4-2, Azzopardi was given his marching orders after showing dissent over the match officials' decision to award 'only' six minutes of added time.
The two-match ban impedes Azzopardi from sitting in the dug-out for Birkirkara's league encounters against the newly-promoted sides Hamrun Spartans (next Saturday) and Mosta (October 15).
Monday's match unfolded into a thrilling encounter which the Paolites won 5-2.
Birkirkara's second goal also provided a main talking point after the match as in the action leading to Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza's tap-in eight minutes from time, Hibs' flank player Clayton Failla was knocked unconscious after an aerial collision with Chucks Nwoko.
Angry Hibs players remonstrated with Mifsud Triganza for continuing the action when a player lay prostrate on the ground but the Birkirkara striker later told journalists that he did not realise Failla had been seriously injured when the ball fell into his path.
Victor Zammit, the Birkirkara FC chairman, rejected claims that his team had shown a lack of sportsmanship.
"We always instruct our players to stop play when someone is injured but in this case, everything happened so quickly," Zammit said.
"I'm sure that Mifsud Triganza was unaware of the condition of Failla when he scored."
Failla, signed from St Patrick last January, was released from hospital on Tuesday.
Hibs official Jesmond Abela told The Times of Failla lost consciousness after colliding with Nwoko.
Abela said that although Failla's condition has improved, he will sit out of Hibs' Premier League match against Valletta on Sunday.
Other suspensions
Nicolò Baldacchino was the only Premier League player on the MFA's suspensions list yesterday.
The Floriana striker received a one-match ban following his red card in his side's 4-4 draw with Mosta on Sunday.
The following Division One players were also suspended for one match: Giles Lanzon (Lija), Victor Bellia (Naxxar) and Emanuel Sevasta (St George's).