Valhmor Camilleri
Valletta players will be treated like foreign-based counterparts - MFA head
Malta coach Buttigieg concerned about Michael Mifsud
John Buttigieg is concerned that Malta striker Michael Mifsud is still without a club. Photos: Domenic Aquilina.
National coach John Buttigieg and Joe Mifsud, the Malta FA president, are convinced that the professional scheme still represents the best option to prepare our national teams for international commitments.
"A coach wants to have all the players at his disposal and I am no different," Buttigieg replied to a question about the absence of the majority of the Valletta players from the national squad's training sessions, at a news conference yesterday.
"My greatest concern is that the clubs here don't have the facilities to give their players the best training week in week out. It's no secret that in Malta, no club fully owns a football stadium and therefore their players can't make use of adequate facilities at all times.
"What I'm saying is not just about Valletta but it applies to all the clubs in Malta. Playing domestic league matches is one thing but international games against the strongest teams on the continent is another.
"Our players need to have the best facilities and professional treatment at all time so they can prepare properly for these matches."
The Malta FA's training scheme has been at the centre of a dispute between Premier League club Valletta and the governing body of local football in recent months.
Late last year, Valletta informed the Malta FA that their players will have to reduce their training schedule with the national coaches as the club had decided to launch its own professional scheme.
Protracted talks between Dr Mifsud and Valletta FC head Victor Sciriha failed to yield an agreement. The Citizens were recently told by the MFA that the players who don't turn up for training with the national squad, will be treated in the same way as those who are engaged with foreign clubs in so far as call-ups to the national squad are concerned.
"The level of European football is far superior to that of the domestic league and I believe that the training scheme has been an excellent tool for our teams to bridge the gap with our European counterparts," Dr Mifsud, the MFA president, said.
"If one had to compare Malta's results before the scheme was introduced and those recorded after, one would find a significant improvement in our performances. Now we are faced with a new scenario after Valletta decided to go for a professional training system.
"It's too early to say what will happen but we will monitor the players' fitness and those that fall short of the physical requirements will not be picked, it's as simple as that. However, I would have preferred that all the players in the national squad trained together on a regular basis."
Another headache for Buttigieg ahead of next month's friendly match against Finland is striker Michael Mifsud who has been without a club since the end of last season.
"I am seriously worried about Michael's situation," Buttigieg said. "He is a vital player for us and it's not a good thing that he is not playing at club level.
"We've been helping Michael Mifsud since the start of the season and I'm still willing to give him my support but I hope he finds a club sooner rather than later. Although his physical condition is good, Mifsud badly lacks match practice and this is essential to play international matches."
Earlier this month, Malta were drawn with Croatia, Greece, Israel, Latvia and Georgia in Group F of the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign. Buttigieg and Dr Mifsud will be travelling to Athens on March 7 for a meeting with the representatives of the other Group F nations. The aim of the meeting is to draw up the fixture schedule.
Asked whether he had any preference as to which team he would like to meet first, Buttigieg said: "I've been looking at various proposals but at this stage, everything is hypothetical as, like me, other national coaches have their preferences.
"Personally, I would rather have the fixtures' sequence determined by a simple draw rather than trying to do it during a lengthy meeting but we'll try to get the best possible arrangement."
Friendly matches
In the run-up to the Euro 2012 qualifiers, the national team will have three warm-up matches. After hosting Finland on March 3, Malta travel to Aachen to face World Cup finalists Germany on May 13. On August 11, Malta will play at home to Macedonia.
For the lucrative friendly against Germany, the Maltese players will wear a new kit after the Malta FA signed a new deal with Italian sportswear brand givova who will replace diadora as the national team's technical partners.
Meanwhile, it was also announced yesterday that the Malta FA is to hold a Football Physical Training Diploma in April. The three-month course, open to all University graduates in Physical Education and Physiotherapy, will feature several top-fitness coaches from the Italian FA and UEFA.
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ray sacco
Feb 20th 2010, 08:31
@joseph farrugia:
quote: "valletta pay their players not the mfa". so do the other clubs mr.farrugia. you think that valletta are the only club which pays their players? it seems that you're the one who needs some lessons about football! my argument is that the mfa president threatened valletta with disciplinary actions if they do not allow their players to train with the national team. but as usual, they get away with everything. now, what if the other clubs also refrain their players from training with the national team? what would happen than? after all, the only ones to suffer from all this are the other clubs because now more of their players will be selected, resulting in more injuries!
Lennard Kelder
Feb 20th 2010, 07:20
@D.Attard
I see your point but your way of thinking represents the typical Maltese "we are small we cannot do that" way of life.
A professional 8 team Super League is possible as long as the MFA is adjusting the foreign player rules to the EU rules (do not know how they get away with it), gives support to clubs to develope their facilities and adjust the national team training scheme, to name a few. You will see how the general level of football in Malta will improve, including the National Teams. Through the years, a complete wrong mentality has sneaked into the MFA administrators which is negatively affecting Maltese football. You cannot set a goal with developing the national team and leaving teams on club level far behind (look at the bad records of Maltese clubs in the European Cups the last 10 years).
Of course we should not expect miracles but I admire the ones in Malta who came with different ideas. A change of mentality and aproach is needed, and we need it soon. "We are nowhere near Cypriot clubs", that is the hard reality, but, isn't that a shame on itself? Think about it......
joseph farrugia
Feb 19th 2010, 19:04
so mr sacco doesnt even knoow what football is. you want disciplanary actions against valletta? valletta are right. they are paying the players not the mfa. now when you mr sacco pay the valletta players yourself, then you can speak...if you know what football is.
ray sacco
Feb 19th 2010, 16:39
and where are the disciplinary actions that the mfa president promised? it's another proof that valletta are more equal than the other clubs where the mfa is concerned. what if other clubs follow suite?
D Attard
Feb 19th 2010, 16:34
some of the comments on this blog are incredibly unrealistic. Some people do not realize what it takes to have a professional set-up. There is a fallacious notion that if players don't go to work, they are then professional. Deep down, ALL coaches know that our clubs cannot be professional. Their income status is so fragile...most times boiling down to just one benefactor. One fine day, such a gentleman may justifiably call it a day. What happens then? The pool of local players is so limited that it would be crazy to think of having a professional league. Professionalism is not just about having training facilities...its about a whole set-up and about financial stability. ie. Expenditure not exceeding income. Putting aside all local pique...no-one can afford this. We watch too much TV football I suppose....sometimes we get carried away thinking along the same lines as the big European clubs. We are nowhere near Cypriot clubs, let alone English or Italian top teams. Ironically, when a top club had eight players in the National squads, they won every honour in Maltese football.
JC Mifsud
Feb 19th 2010, 15:32
"If one had to compare Malta's results before the scheme was introduced and those recorded after, one would find a significant improvement in our performances.
Maybe Dr. Mifsud is right about the performance but football is not only about performance but of results and we didn't have any good results lately.
About Michael Mifsud I'm sorry to say that his agent lead him to no where, and he's waisting his talent by not signing for less money. I would have preferred playing in Malta rather that not playing at all.
Vinny Vella
Feb 19th 2010, 14:27
Valletta are right. So right. Oh yes, resutls have definately improved for Malta since the professional scheme was introduced. Are we talking about the same national team? The MFA should have improved our club facilities and made this it's priority task many years ago. Instead it ignored the clubs completely. Well done Valletta. Although they stand alone in this confrontation, they are to be commended .
Lennard Kelder
Feb 19th 2010, 12:58
"My greatest concern is that the clubs here don't have the facilities to give their players the best training week in week out".
This was a choice of the MFA (read Joe Mifsud), way back 15 years ago they should have started tackling this problem. They invested in national team facilities at Ta'Qali but completely underestimated the needs of clubs and above all the possibilities at clubs.
"The level of European football is far superior to that of the domestic league and I believe that the training scheme has been an excellent tool for our teams to bridge the gap with our European counterparts"
This must be a practical joke from Joe. How can you bridge the gap if you do not give the opportunity to Maltese clubs to invest in their own facilities???? Every club has it's nursery, yes money has been invested, but what is it all worth if the club facilities are poor? Remember that all great players start at nursery (=club) level....
It's so double in Malta, I cannot believe what I am reading during the past months about this training scheme......wake up Dr. Mifsud.....and yes...it is time for change in the administration of Maltese football...
James Mizzi
Feb 19th 2010, 11:22
"The level of European football is far superior to that of the domestic league and I believe that the training scheme has been an excellent tool for our teams to bridge the gap with our European counterparts," Dr Mifsud, the MFA president, said.
@ Dr Mifsud: Everyone is telling you that the way forward is to improve the football at club levels. What Valletta are doing should be commended for and not criticised.
Michael Gatt
Feb 19th 2010, 10:50
Michael Mifsud was doing quite well in England, until his move from Coventry to Bristol City fell through after his demands became a bit too much for Bristol City. Unfortunately for him, when the deal fell through, Coventry didn't want him on their books anymore, as Mifsud had made it clear that he wanted to leave for more money.
A fantastic footballer who was either ill-advised or just plain greedy.
Ian Galea
Feb 19th 2010, 10:12
The Michael Mifsud situation is very strange and should be dealt with immediately. One wonders what the obstacles are. Is it a case of him being too good to play in the Maltese League but not rated good enough to play elsewhere ... or is it just a matter of exorbitant financial demands??