Football has ended up in the news for the wrong reasons again as the police are to press charges against three men over bribery allegations.
The men are expected to be charged with trying to fix the Division One match between Naxxar and Gżira some weeks ago and last season’s fixture between Ħamrun and Sliema.
This is bad publicity for the game and comes hot on the heels of the European football body’s suspension of a former national team player who was found guilty of bribery.
In the latest case, the Malta Football Association was quick off the blocks to provisionally suspend the three players.
The news is unsettling and may add to the negative perception surrounding the game, which seems to have worsened over the years with the proliferation of betting companies.
However, the MFA was right in taking prompt action on a recommendation by its prosecuting officer to temporarily suspend the players pending an investigation by the anti-corruption board.
The association has a duty to weed out corruption and protect football’s name for the sake of all the honest administrators, players and loyal supporters.
The prompt action helped stress the point that corruption will be tackled head on even if, in the short term, it contributed to a worsening perception of the game. Care must now be taken to avoid making the wrong moves that undermine the justice process.
Ironically, The Times this week reported on the story of Simon Agius, a former Sliema Wanderers goalkeeper, who was accused by club officials of throwing a game. Club officials never produced the proof and never bothered to report the matter to the police or the MFA. It took Mr Agius two painful years to clear his name and receive the money owed by the club. He suffered the consequences of false accusations, which are as bad as corruption itself.
His case sheds light on the importance of having a prompt, serious and meticulous investigative process that can distinguish between gratuitous allegations and those that have a solid basis. Much as the guilty should be ejected from the game, it would be unfair to tar with the same brush those who are innocent.
But fighting corruption must also be a priority for the individual football clubs.
The problem has to be weeded out at the grassroots level by tackling player attitudes towards the game and instilling a sense of pride and loyalty towards the team. Tough action is necessary and clubs must not close an eye to dubious behaviour. Yet, this on its own will only deal with the consequences. It has to be accompanied by an educational process on the negative consequences of bribery.
Preventing players from entering into the trap of easy and dishonest money will be a more effective tool. This exercise has to reach established first-team players but, more importantly, the very young.
Football nurseries are not just about teaching technique and training players to improve their performance. They also perform a wonderful job in instilling such values as solidarity, respect, obedience and self-confidence.
What is required at this critical juncture is a concerted effort to educate players, even those as young as seven, about the ill-effects of corruption.
A solid foundation could help start healing the wounds of the bribery scandals that have harmed football.