Birkirkara mentor Azzopardi fined, escapes ban

Under-fire Birkirkara coach Stephen Azzopardi has been fined Lm15 but escaped suspension for his late dismissal in his side's 3-0 Premier League defeat to Valletta last weekend.

Azzopardi had been expected to receive a touchline ban by the Malta FA Disciplinary Commissioner after being ordered off the bench by referee Anton Zammit in the dying stages of Saturday's match.

With his team trailing 2-0 in stoppage time of their first Championship Pool match against Valletta, Azzopardi was seen gesticulating angrily towards a group of Birkirkara fans, prompting the referee to send him off.

The Disciplinary Commissioner yesterday handed out bans to several players and a handful of officials after last weekend's matches from the diverse MFA leagues but Azzopardi's name was not on the list.

Sources said that a touchline ban was deemed inappropriate as Azzopardi's reaction had been triggered by serious provocation from the stands.

In comments he gave to The Times earlier this week, Azzopardi explained what led to his confrontation with a Birkirkara fan last Saturday.

"My reaction in the last minutes of Saturday's game was triggered by the insults of one particular individual who has been harassing me for several months," Azzopardi said.

With Azzopardi's position as Birkirkara coach said to be in jeopardy, news that he has been spared suspension by the MFA will have come as a huge relief for the former Balzan Youths mentor.

It emerged yesterday that Birkirkara's board of directors, headed by chairman Victor Zammit, convened earlier this week to discuss Azzopardi's position in the light of the team's disappointing performances of late and his outburst on Saturday.

Insiders said that although Birkirkara have decided not to sack Azzopardi, they have approved a proposal to hire another coach, or manager, to bolster their technical team.

Dutchman Jan Artz, who was in charge of Premier League side Floriana for most of last season, was identified by Birkirkara as the ideal candidate to help Azzopardi revive the fortunes of the ailing champs.

Artz, who just managed to keep Floriana in the Premier League on the last day of the 2005-2006 season but led the team to the final of the FA Trophy, flew into Malta yesterday evening for talks with Zammit.

Last night, The Times learnt that Artz gave his nod to Birkirkara's offer to work in tandem with Azzopardi for the rest of the season.

Azzopardi, in charge of the Stripes since December 2001, was also summoned for a meeting with Birkirkara officials yesterday. It is believed that Azzopardi accepted Birkirkara's decision to appoint Artz as joint coach.

Birkirkara, who won the Premier League title under Azzopardi last season, are fifth in the table on 15 points, 11 adrift of leaders Marsaxlokk.

David Camenzuli, the Pietà Hotspurs defender, was the only Premier League player to receive a ban yesterday. Camenzuli has been suspended for one match after he collected his fourth booking in Pietà's 2-0 win over Marsa on Sunday.