Mifsud hits out at Birkirkara chairman Zammit over press comments

Joe Mifsud took Birkirkara chairman Victor Zammit to task yesterday for making what the MFA president claimed were "false allegations" about the local governing body in a Sunday newspaper.

In his comments, Zammit was quoted as saying that the Malta FA had been fined by UEFA, Europe's governing body of football, for failing to abide by its duties towards Maltese clubs taking part in European competitions last year.

Dr Mifsud pointed out that Zammit's allegation was untrue as the Malta FA has not been hit by a UEFA fine.

"I want to clarify this point," Dr Mifsud said during yesterday's news conference at the association's headquarters in Ta' Qali.

"The MFA was cautioned by UEFA after an annual audit found that our Clubs' Licensing Board had relied on declarations by the three clubs (taking part in the 2007 European competitions) that they had paid the national insurance contributions for their employees instead of asking for a receipt as a proof that these payments were in order. One of these clubs were Birkirkara.

"Had the Licensing Board not closed one eye, perhaps these clubs would have been refused an operating licence and consequently banned from playing in UEFA competitions."

Dr Mifsud also announced yesterday that he had filed a libel suit against Norman Darmanin Demajo, the former MFA treasurer and candidate for the MFA's last presidential election, Mark Attard, sports correspondent of the newspaper Illum, and its editor after he felt defamed by an article published in the said newspaper recently.

The Malta FA head also instituted separate libel proceedings against Darmanin Demajo over a letter he sent to the MFA secretary.