Suspension ‘wrongful and illicit’, says coaches’ lawyer
Former Malta coaches John Buttigieg (right) and Carmel Busuttil are at loggerheads with the MFA.
Former Malta coach John Buttigieg and his assistant Carmel Busuttil are disputing claims by the Malta FA that they breached the association’s regulations after filing a judicial protest against the local governing body of football last month.
Last week, the Malta FA council suspended Buttigieg and Busuttil indefinitely after ruling that the two coaches’ decision to lodge a judicial protest was in breach of its statute which prohibits members of the football family from taking legal action against the association.
Buttigieg and Busuttil had presented a judicial protest against their dismissal and called on the MFA to pay them half their wages until the end of their contract which was due to expire in June 2014.
In his letter to the MFA, Ian Spiteri Bailey, the lawyer of Buttigieg and Busuttil, challenged the MFA’s interpretation of article 155 of its statute, saying that “a judicial protest is a form of intimation made under the court’s authority but is not a legal procedure in terms of a lawsuit as stipulated in the statute”.
Dr Spiteri Bailey said that Buttigieg and Busuttil didn’t initiate any legal proceedings against the MFA when submitting their judicial protest but took legitimate steps to safeguard their rights.
Any dispute relating to the suspension of the coaching licences of Buttigieg and Busuttil shouldn’t, in any way, impinge on the MFA’s obligations to settle the compensation payment to the two coaches, Dr Spiteri Bailey said.
Dr Spiteri Bailey pointed out that the case between the former coaches of the national team and the Malta FA is an employment-related issue and not a football one. Therefore, he added, the interpretation of the statute is inapplicable.
As the Malta FA have honoured their obligations in signing the agreement over the termination of the contracts of Buttigieg and Busuttil, the effects of the judicial protest today “have not only died a natural death but this materialised because the MFA took action to regularise its position,” Dr Spiteri Bailey wrote.
Dr Spiteri Bailey said that Buttigieg and Busuttil were denied the right to a fair hearing when the MFA decided to suspend them.
He called on the MFA to fulfil their financial obligations to Buttigieg and Busuttil and that, with immediate effect, proceed to revoke the “wrongful and illicit suspension” imposed on the two coaches.
Furthermore, Dr Spiteri Bailey urged the MFA to pay damages to the two coaches stemming from their suspension by the same association.
“It’s indeed a pity that two important elements of Maltese football have been treated in such manner, after many years of service they’ve given to local football as players for their clubs and the national team and finally as coaches of the national team,” Dr Spiteri Bailey said.
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Emanuel. Vella.
Feb 16th, 23:13
@ emanuel vella,to-day,16:49.sur-anthony arpa nixtieq,niskuza ruhi mieghek,ghax qabel ta l-ahhar nofs line,bi zball biddiltlek kunjomok ghal apap flok arpa.u inkompli minn hawn,finalment sur-arpa nixtieqlek il-kumplament tas-sena it-tajba.
Emanuel. Vella.
Feb 16th, 16:49
@ anthony arpa,to-day,07:45.fil-kaz taghna iva sur-arpa,ghax ahna kull loghba li nighlabu dejjem nitilfuha,fil-qualifiers,kemm wc,u kemm nc,ghalhekk ghalina il-goal difference huwa importanti iktar mill-punti siehbi,habib tieghi u int dan fil-fond ta qalbek tafu.ha nghidlek kemm nifhem fil-futbol jien issa.l-aktar coach li gab punti ghalina,li hu total ta hamsa,fil-qualifiers ta wara la skurjajna goal wiehed,u l-anqas gibna punt wiehed taht l-istess coach dusan fitzel.mhux ghalhekk ma regax gie lura,ghax jaf li il-limitazzjonijiet taghna sa hemm jaslu,la inqas u l-anqas izjed,habib tieghi.issa jekk irnexxielhna,insibu coach, flok il-koppja maltija john u carmel,u irnexxielu jitfa il-hdax il-plejer fil-lasta,bi skop wiehed biss,li nakkwistaw punt kull loghba li nighlabu,nakkwistaw 10 punti,minn 10 loghbiet sur-arpa,u niksru il-record ta 5 punti ta dusan fitzel,u wkoll ikollhna cans li nevitaw l-ahhar post fil-klassifika finali,sur-anthony apap, u finalment sur-apap,nixtieqlek il-kumplament tas-sena it-tajba.
Emanuel. Vella.
Feb 15th, 22:33
@ anthony arpa,to-day,15:47.jekk hadt mhu jaghti kaz,inti zgur li qed taghti,ghax kull darba qed twiegibni sur arpa.veru sewwa qed tghid sur-arpa,min issa il-quddiem,kull coach li ha jiehu,it-tim nazzjonali malti tal futbol f idejh,jewden biss jista fuq dan ir-record,ghax hadt ma jista ikisrilhom dan ir-record,lil john u il-carmel,u amettieha din sur arpa,u accetta darba ghal dejjem jahasra.e l-ghira,twaslek biex taghmel kollox sur-arpa.issa is-sospenzjoni qed jiehu hsieba,l-avukat dr.spiteri bailey.u ir-records ta kull klassifika finali li laghab it-tim nazzjonali malti tal-futbol,qed niehu hsiebhom jien dawk,sur-arpa.issa jekk inti kapaci,issibli klassifika finali,tat tim-nazzjonali malti tal-futbol,ahjar minn minus 17 goals kontra taghna,minn 10 loghbiet played erga kellimni,alright habib tieghi.
Emanuel. Vella.
Feb 13th, 16:34
@ anthony arpa,yesterday,@ 20:16.issa ikun hemm coach iehor,li ha jiehu it-tim nazzjonali malti tal-futbol f idejh,u johlom li jikser,dan ir-rekord,li qed nimmagina u nohlom bih jien,ta.minn 10 loghbiet played it-tim nazzjonali malti tal-futbol,taht john u carmel = minus 17 goals,kontra taghna,medja ta goals kull loghba kontra taghna jigu hekk - 8 loghbiet tlifnihom bi score ta 2-0,loghba tlifniha 1-0, u gejna loghba draw ta 0-0.punti - punt.nerga nghid ta l-ahhar,u daqshekk.min ha jikser dan ir-rekord,li waqfu john u carmel?.
Anthony Arpa
Feb 15th, 15:47
Manuel man tindunax li hadd mu jati kaz dak li qed tajd int dwar dawn ir records li int qrd tewden fuqhom.....
U int tahseb li awn xi ghaqda li se tnehhi lil xi coach li jkun ghamel dawn is successi. Tkompliex tparla fil vojt. u iddiskuti biss dwar is sospenzjoni ta dawn iz zewt coaches. .....
Anthony Arpa
Feb 16th, 07:45
Manuel ir records mhumiex li titlef il loghbiet kollha b'avrage ta biss 2-0 .... ir record hu ir rebh tal punti .
Prosit kemm tifhem fil furball mela jekk ikollhna kowc li ta kull loghba jitfa il hdax il player fill lasta bi skop wieghed biss li nakwistaw telfa bl inqass skore possibli ghalik dan u success .... hallina Emanuel ahjar taghmel kif ghid u tieqaf tikteb tkompliex iddahhaq lid dilenti bik hi .... Jien hlejt hin bizzejjed niprova infhemek imma unutli nkompli nahli hin ma min ma jridx jifhem ... il gurnata it tajba ....
Emanuel. Vella.
Feb 11th, 19:37
@ anthony arpa,to-day,@ 16:15.u hallina,anthony arpa.issa ir-rizultati li gabu john u carmel,ghat tim nazzjonali malti tal-futbol,igibhom xi coach iehor,ghandek xi cans.u int missek tisthi wkoll.
Anthony Arpa
Feb 12th, 20:16
Jien nerga najdlek li is sugget kien dwar is sospenzjoni ta dawn is sinjuri .... u jien fuq dan wiegebt u mhux mhux ir records li qed thawwad int ...
Is Statute jajd car li hadd ma jista jdahhal lil MFA bil permess taghha ... Rule banali imma hemm kien u hemm ghadu u dawn is zewt sinjuri messhom kienu jafu bdan ir rule .... Ghandek ghalfejn tisthi int titkellem bla sens u fuq sugget li manghdu sjaqsam xejn ruhi .... Qbat bir records u spiccajt bir records li qed tohlom bijhom int .... Jien spejegajt dwar is sospenzjoni .... u mhux ir records li qed timagina fil holm tijak int ....
Emanuel. Vella.
Feb 11th, 11:15
@ anthony arpa,10-2-12,@ 19:48.sur arpa,lili int ma ghidlix,minn hu dan il-coach,li ha jiksrilhom dan ir-rekord,li waqfu bhala coaches,john u carmel.dan ir-rekord kien car bizzejjed,li john u carmel kellhom jibqaw hemm sa l-ahhar tal-kuntratt li kellhom.u mhux jigi terminat,il-kuntratt li kellhom,u wkoll jigu sospizi,dawn x affarijiet huma,tista tghidli jekk jghogbok?.
Anthony Arpa
Feb 11th, 16:15
Emanuel jien dak li qed thawwad int ma jinteresaniex .... Int qbizt f'haga li manda x'taqsam xejn mal kustjoni tas sospenzjoni .li dawn inghataw dawn iz zewt sinjuri ghar raguni li dawn dahlu lil MFA il qorti .... Il Paraguni huma odjuzi u ir records tista tifimhom u thawwadhom kif tifhom int. Jien l'anqas nithol fil meritu jekk dawn tnehhewx justament jew le mil MFA u dawn mhux gew imnehhija mil president kif hawwadt int .....
Anthony Arpa
Feb 10th, 19:34
Il-players Non Amateurs u kemm dawk proffesionals kollha il -football ghalijhom hu jew part time jew full time Job. Imma dawn xorta jafu li huma jaqghu taht ir-regolamti kollha ta MFA.
Dan l-istess regolament barra li ilu snin kbar MFA jinsab ukoll fir regolamenti tal EUFA .
Dan vera u jammetti kullhad li hu regolament ingust u li jmur kontra id drittijiet tal bniedem. Pero jibqa il fatt li hadd s'issa ma ghadu ikontesta fl-EU li dan ir regolament, ingust u li jmur kontra id drittijiet tal players kemm dawk Amateurs kif ukoll Non Amateurs u dawk Proffesionals sal gurnata tal lum. Ghaldaqstant niskanta kif meta Is Sinjuri J.Buttijigieg u J Busuttil jafu li hemm dan ir regolament hadu dan il pass. Safejn naf jien ir regolament jghid wieghed jista jdallal lil MFA il qorti wara li dan jitlob il permess ta MFA u wara li dan il permess jinghata mil MFA.
Nistaqsi dawn is Sinjuri ghamlu din it talba lil MFA qabel dawn hadu dan il pass li hadu li jdahlu lil MFA il qorti?
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Emanuel. Vella.
Feb 10th, 13:34
fl-istorja ta kull zmien,kemm ilu jighlab u jikkompeti,it-tim nazzjonali malti tal-futbol.john u carmel,irnexxielhom iwaqfu rekord,issa toqodx tghidli,ghax fil-futbol,u fil-klassifika il-punti joddu.li minn 10 loghbiet,irnexxielhom izommu lil l-avversarji taghna,il-boghod milli jersqu lejn il-lasti taghna,kemm jista ikun mill- l-inqas.bir-rizultat finali,ikun ta-minus 17 goals kontra taghna.issa forzi hemm xi hadt,li ihobb it-tim nazzjonali malti tal-futbol daqsi,u jghidli lima coach,ha jiksrilhom dan il-rekord,li waqfu huma it-tnejn.ebda hadt,u min dan jien cert mija fil-mija.imbadt is-sur norman darmanin demajo,hallashom b dan il-mod,kieku inkun flokok sur-ndd,nisthi nohrog barra.
Anthony Arpa
Feb 10th, 19:48
Sur Vella
dan li qed tghid int hu argument li ma ghandu x'jaqsam xejn ma dan il kaz rigward li dawn iz zewgt sinjuri gew sospizi ghax marru kotra istatut tal MFA. U fl-istatut hemm car x'jsir min dawk li jmorru kontra dan ir regolament.
Dwar jekk kienx gust li dawn iz zewgt Sinjuri tnehhew mil kariga hija haga ohra ....
Sur Vella inti taf li il president tal MFA ma jiehux dawn id decizjonijiet hu imma huwa il kunsill li bil vot tijghu jiddeciedi x'ghandu x'jsir.