The Charleroi case, the MFA and Maltese clubs

Reference is made to last week's report on The Sunday Times (page 62) subtitled 'Local football body pledges support for FIFA over Charleroi court case'.

The concept behind the Charleroi case is not new. On November 26, 2002, as the then president of (and on behalf of) Floriana FC, I had written to the Malta FA stating that various Floriana players had been injured while training or playing with the national teams.

We requested that the MFA compensate Floriana for such injuries.

The local football clubs either recruit a player from their nursery or pay the acquisition price of a player, and then the club pay his wages and other requirements, apart from providing various cost-related amenities. The non-use of a player due to injury is therefore a big blow to a club.

It was felt - and argued - that it would be fair if compensation for financial damages thus incurred by the local club relative to one of its players being injured while training/playing for the national side, were to be paid to the club. This is valid and good reasoning.

Floriana followed up its request by quantifying the amount of damages per letter sent to the MFA dated March 26, 2003. The MFA never replied to this correspondence.

This request is now reflected in the Charleroi case with the exception (to my knowledge) that the claim is not directed at the Belgian national association but it is directed only at FIFA, a higher and more substantial body. The outcome will be extremely interesting and, of course, revolutionary.

What is, however, new is your report that the MFA Council is backing FIFA and UEFA and not the club.

I think that all will agree that if compensation is payable by FIFA to the Maltese Premier clubs this would be beneficial.

The MFA represents the Maltese clubs. At international matches the MFA/Malta would be represented by players from the local (mainly Premier) clubs. The MFA Council and the Maltese clubs are theoretically representing the same interest and therefore, payment to the clubs should be (or should have been) welcomed by the Council.

In my view it is very strange - and indeed contradictory - that the MFA Council has voted against the interest of the Maltese clubs and in favour of FIFA/UEFA.

With this reasoning FIFA would not pay any money to Maltese clubs whenever a Maltese player is injured in a FIFA competition.

Why did the Council decide so when the outcome would not even affect Maltese football negatively?

I think the MFA Council is in duty bound to publish all details, (including the minutes relative to this resolution) so that the public and clubs are informed of the Council's reasoning.

I also think that the Maltese clubs should not accept such a situation. May I wish one and all that 2006 will be a better year.