Gatt puts words into action

The change at the helm of the Malta FA in 2010 heralded a wave of reforms. The bulk of the initiatives were aimed at assisting the clubs, especially from a financial viewpoint, but one of the early appointments of the then new administration was that of Robert Gatt as technical director.

My decision not to choose certain players has nothing to do with their age or because I don’t like them

It is a measure of the high esteem with which MFA president Norman Darmanin Demajo holds Gatt that, four months after his election as president, he chose the former Hibs mentor to head the technical centre.

One of the most knowledgeable coaches in Maltese football, Gatt had been an important member of the Malta FA technical staff in the past before switching to club football. After a two-year stint with Birkirkara, Gatt spent nine years at the helm of Hibs, leading them to one league title and a host of other honours.

Gatt’s brief was to transform the MFA technical centre into a dynamic hub that reflects the realities of modern football with special emphasis on key areas like grassroots, coaching education, sports medicine and technology.

Unassuming and softly-spoken, Gatt, 62, settled into his new job without much fanfare but a year on from his appointment, his hard work is there for all to see.

Embracing the MFA’s vision to open the doors of the technical centre to all the members of the football family, including the press, Gatt organised an informal ‘open day’ for the media last week.

“I knew what there was here but I must admit that there was more work to be done than I expected,” Gatt told The Times.

“The restructuring of the technical centre was a priority. Work started immediately on the renovation of the place, especially the conference room. Other important projects we initiated in the past year include the match analysis and players management software, the reorganisation of our youth competitions and the launch of the academy for boys born in 1998.

“We’re being more specific in our work. Coaching education is another important area we’ve tried to strengthen.

“It was important that we enhanced not only the level of our courses but also increased participation.

“The number of applicants has risen significantly because our courses are more accessible and affordable. We’re trying to be more flexible in order to encourage more coaches to take the courses.”

The UEFA A is the top coaching course organised by the Malta FA and, above that, there is only the Pro Licence.

There have been suggestions that the MFA should increase its efforts to get the all-clear by UEFA to hold the Pro Licence course here but Gatt explained that this was not possible.

“The last time we attended a UEFA coaching conference, I spoke to Frank Ludolph, UEFA’s head of coaching education,” Gatt said.

“We enquired about the possibility of organising the Pro Licence course in Malta but he replied that we can’t because we don’t have a professional league.

“We can establish a partnership with another federation and send our coaches to do the Pro Licence there, like we’ve been doing in the last few years.”

Gatt may have his hands full with his on-going work to boost all the areas under the technical centre’s umbrella but that didn’t prevent him heeding the MFA’s call to step in as caretaker coach of the national team ahead of the home friendly against Liechtenstein on February 29.

Malta preparations

Having parted ways with John Buttigieg in October, the MFA have yet to install a new national coach but the players in the Malta squad have been training regularly under Gatt’s guidance since mid-January.

Luca Pagani, the national teams’ physical trainer, subjected the shortlisted players to a rigorous test to gauge their level of fitness before they began their training schedule.

Asked about the physical condition of the players, Gatt replied: “Their physical condition is good for the level of domestic football but they must improve significantly to attain the standards we want.”

The friendly against Liechtenstein is Malta’s first in preparation for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

By naming three U-21 players, Rowen Muscat, Bjorn Kristensen and Zack Muscat, and some new faces like Sliema goalkeeper Henry Bonello and Valletta midfielder Edmond Agius in his squad, Gatt has signalled his desire for change in terms of selecting more up-and-coming youngsters and players who are performing consistently well in domestic competitions.

“The principle I’ve tried to adopt for this game is that we must gain something from it,” Gatt said. “In football, the result is very important but it’s not the be-all end-all.

“Part of our objective for this friendly is to achieve some benefits that go beyond the result of one game. We have included three youngsters in the squad and I’m confident the experience of training with established players and being involved in a senior match will stand them in good stead.”

Gatt’s resolve to change the status quo was reflected in his squad selection but his decisions will probably have ruffled a few feathers as a host of players who had been part of the national squad under Buttigieg, the likes of Jamie Pace, Ivan Woods and Carlo Mamo, were left out. However, Gatt was keen to stress that the players who failed to make his initial squad can still earn a recall.

“I want to make it clear that my decision not to choose certain players has nothing to do with their age or because I don’t like them,” Gatt said.

“My aim has always been to try some new players in the next friendly. I’d have absolutely no difficulty to call other players to the squad a week before the game but when it comes to introducing youngsters, they need more time to adapt.”

Gatt has already shown that he means what he’s saying as, two weeks ago, he called up Birkirkara midfielder Paul Fenech who had been excluded from the squad announced last month.

The former Hibs coach has also been in regular contact with the foreign-based players who are expected to be named in the final squad for the Liechtenstein friendly.

“All the foreign-based players will be considered for selection,” Gatt said. “I call them every week to check on their condition and the amount of playing time they’re getting at their clubs.”

Although Gatt is performing his duties as caretaker Malta coach with great enthusiasm, he admitted that the appointment of a new national coach would enable him to devote all his energy and time towards his role as technical director.

“I’ve been working a lot with the boys born in 1998 as they are central to our academy project,” Gatt said. “Now we have engaged the services of Sergio Soldano on a full-time basis and he has taken over.

“When the new national coach comes, I will concentrate on my work as technical director.”