The right man to manage Malta’s A team

The sacking of the national football team coach and his assistant might have surprised a few fans but for those closer to the game, the decision by the Malta Football Association’s executive committee to terminate the contract of John Buttigieg and Carmel Busuttil could not have come at a more appropriate time.

Having signed an unusually-long five-year contract when taking over from Dusan Fitzel in 2009, they were still not even half-way through their term at the helm of the national squad.

Before the appointment of Mr Buttigieg, there had been persistent calls for the MFA to give up on foreigners coaching the national team. Following Pippo Psaila’s departure in 1993, the job had been assigned to six European coaches – Pietro Ghedin (Italy), Milorad Kosanovic, Josif Ilic (both Yugoslavian), Sigi Held, Horst Heese (both Germany) and Mr Fitzel (Czech Republic). Under their direction, there were some improved performances and a few outstanding results but not on a consistent basis and when Mr Fitzel had to leave for health reasons, the MFA, then under Joe Mifsud, decided to go for a Maltese national and the choice fell on Mr Buttigieg and Mr Busuttil.

There is no doubt that both men had talent but, judging by the end result, it is evident there was still something missing in the way the national team was being managed. There were a few times during their tenure, which spanned 21 matches, when Malta was close to avoiding defeat but the record of two wins (both friendlies), three draws and 16 losses says it all.

Some insiders were perplexed with Mr Buttigieg’s failure to make better use of Maltese players engaged with teams abroad. It was also noted that some footballers in the Maltese Premier League were given the cold shoulder and others who could have made a valid contribution were overlooked altogether.

Such decisions made Mr Buttigieg less and less popular and spectators again started to turn their back on the national team.

MFA president Norman Darmanin Demajo made it clear at the end of the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign last month – when Malta only managed one point out of 10 matches – that he was not happy with the situation and openly criticised the coach, saying his selection policies ran contrary to what the association was striving to achieve.

With the national team idle at this time of the season, there is no need for the MFA to rush to engage a new coach who, the chances are, will be a foreigner again.

It is a must for the administration to seek all advice it can get before selecting the new man. It must be someone who will spur the national team, that lately slipped to the bottom rungs of the FIFA rankings, to more encouraging results and draw the crowds back to the stadium.

Perhaps, the MFA should look at different avenues to find a replacement and opt for the British-type of coach, someone who lays more emphasis on inspiration and spirited play, so much lacking in the Malta team matches lately.

It has not been announced what terminating the contract of Mr Buttigieg and Mr Busuttil will cost the MFA, though it is thought the sum runs into tens of thousands of euros. Yet, it was a bold decision and one can only hope that the MFA’s executive committee will show the same kind of determination when choosing the right man and ensuring that past mistakes are rectified.