The Malta FA is expected to appoint a new technical director in the coming days as part of a drive to revamp its technical set-up.
The restructuring of the technical centre is believed to be one of the top priorities for Norman Darmanin Demajo, the Malta FA president, and CEO Bjorn Vassallo who have already identified a number of candidates for various posts.
Sources have told The Times that the MFA’s Bureau, which is made up of the association’s top officials, will convene on Monday to discuss the future of the technical centre.
Plans to strengthen the set-up and the recommended candidate for the role of technical director will be put forward for approval by the members of the bureau. Any proposals and decisions taken by the MFA Bureau will then be discussed during another meeting, also scheduled for Monday, of the association’s Executive Committee.
The identity of the new technical director has been kept under wraps by the Malta FA’s top brass so far.
Whispers emanating from the corridors in Ta’ Qali suggest that the chosen candidate is an experienced coach who was part of the association’s technical staff in the past.
John Buttigieg has been filling the dual role of national coach and technical director since succeeding Dusan Fitzel in August 2009. Fitzel did likewise during his four-year spell as national coach but before him, Horst Heese spent a number of years as technical director before taking over from fellow German countryman Sigi Held as Malta coach.
The recruitment of a new technical director had been mooted for some time as the new MFA administration is known to consider the role as central to its endeavours to shake up the technical sector and to implement a nationwide plan aimed at improving youth football and the level of coaching.
A new Malta U-21 coach is also expected to be appointed next week. Ray Farrugia is the front-runner to replace Edwin Camilleri who is expected to be handed a different role.
Farrugia is no stranger to the post as he steered the team to a spate of commendable results during his four-year tenure as Malta U-21 coach between 1998 and 2002.
Farrugia, formerly of Pietà and Sliema Wanderers, worked closely with Darmanin Demajo when the latter combined his duties as MFA treasurer with that of national teams’ manager prior to his then acrimonious exit from the local governing body in 2000.
The draw for the qualifying round of the UEFA 2011/12 U-21 Championship will take place next month.
Michael Molzahn and Vince Carbonaro are expected to be confirmed by the MFA as coaches of the Malta U-19 and U-17 teams respectively.
As part of their build-up for the UEFA 2011/12 qualifying round commitments, the Malta U-19 squad will be taking part in a tournament in Italy come May.
Malta U-19 have been drawn against Austria, Denmark and Albania in Group 12. The matches will be played in Austria between October 5 and 10.
Malta’s U-17 squad will also be involved in a series of friendlies ahead of their competitive matches against Spain, Poland and Montenegro from October 19-24.
To aid the team’s preparations for their UEFA assignments, the MFA will host an U-17 friendly tournament around Easter time. The participating nations are Malta, Macedonia, Hungary and Albania.
In August, the U-17 squad will travel to Hungary to play in another triangular festival.