Gatt named MFA technical director

Robert Gatt is the new technical director of the Malta FA, the governing body of local football announced yesterday.

The Malta FA Executive Committee rubberstamped Gatt’s appointment at a meeting yesterday evening after the members of the association’s bureau had earlier endorsed the recommendation of president Norman Darmanin Demajo to employ the former Hibs coach as technical director.

The MFA said in a statement that, at the Executive Committee meeting, Darmanin Demajo outlined the discussions he had with Gatt about the objectives and policies that the new technical director will focus on.

“These will include an ‘open house’ policy with subsidised coaching courses and continued professional education for coaches of all levels together with the re-introduction of the regional scouting and coaching concept, which system was abruptly terminated by the previous MFA administration,” the statement said.

Regarded as one of the most experienced and qualified Maltese coaches, Gatt is well acquainted with the MFA technical set-up as he led Malta U-21 in the past and also took temporary charge of the senior team following the resignation of Pietro Ghedin in November 1995.

After his long spell with the Malta FA, Gatt was appointed coach of Premier League side Birkirkara in season 1997-98 where he worked in tandem with Alfred Cardona.

Under Gatt and Cardona, Birkirkara came within a whisker of winning what would have been their first league championship but they lost 2-1 to Valletta in the famous title showdown of May 1998 that drew a sell-out crowd to the National Stadium.

Gatt only lasted one season as Birkirkara coach but in 1999, he took over the reins of Hibernians. The former Malta goalkeeper spent nine years at the helm of the Paolites, leading the team to the Premier League title in season 2001-2002 and back-to-back FA Trophy victories in 2005-06 and 2006-07.

Hibs’ failure to qualify for the Championship Pool in 2007-08 effectively brought Gatt’s nine-year tenure to an end. He opted to take a break after relinquishing his duties as Hibs coach in the summer of 2008 and has reportedly rejected offers from a number of clubs over the last two years.

The prospect of playing a pivotal role in renewed efforts to improve the level of Maltese football and that of local coaches has persuaded Gatt, 51, to accept the MFA’s proposal to take up the post of technical director.

The recruitment of a new technical director had been expected for some time as Darmanin Demajo and Bjorn Vassallo, the CEO of the Malta FA, view the role as key to their plans to strengthen the technical centre.

A few months ago, rumours were rife that Pippo Psaila was the leading candidate to become technical director but the former Malta coach currently occupies the role of government consultant on sports.

Sources have told The Times that Gatt was earmarked for the job from the moment the Malta FA’s top brass decided to bring in a new technical director.

The arrival of a technical director means that John Buttigieg will now be solely responsible for coaching the national team. It remains to be seen how Buttigieg will respond to Gatt’s arrival, given that the former filled the dual role of national coach and technical director since succeeding Dusan Fitzel in 2009.

Gatt’s appointment was the main item on the agenda of yesterday’s meetings of the MFA Bureau and the Executive Committee.

Gatt was presented to the members of the Executive Committee towards the end of yesterday's meeting.