The minutes of the Malta FA council meetings between 1931 and 1935 which were presented to the association yesterday.The minutes of the Malta FA council meetings between 1931 and 1935 which were presented to the association yesterday.

Elton Borg and Julian Friggieri, two former members of the Ħamrun Spartans committee, have been banned for life from all football activities after both had pleaded guilty to fixing several matches last season.

The sanctions against Borg and Friggieri were issued by the Malta FA Council yesterday after the Board to adjudicate charges related to bribery and illegal betting in football reiterated its stance that it had no jurisdiction over the former officials since the latter had voluntarily resigned from any football-related post and activity.

The case goes back to July of last year when the Malta FA filed match-fixing charges against Borg and Friggieri, plus former Ħamrun Spartans players Roderick Fenech and Massimo Grima – Gianluca Calabretta had also been charged but was later cleared of any wrongdoing.

Ħamrun, who now play in Division One, were hit with a seven-point penalty and fined €10,000 after admitting the charges but, in its written judgment, the anti-corruption board noted that the disciplinary proceedings against the two former officials had also been concluded in light of their indefinite and irrevocable resignation from all football activities.

“In light of this fact and that the maximum punishment this board could have imposed was that of a perpetual interdiction from every football activity, something the accused have already done voluntarily in an early phase of the procedures, the board is accepting the perpetual and irrevocable resignation of the accused,” the board had said on its report.

However, this conclusion was deemed unacceptable by the Malta FA Council who sent the case back to the board who, for the second time, ruled that it had no power to punish Borg and Friggieri as these have ceased to be part of the association.

Faced with this decision, the MFA’s Executive Committee referred the case to the Council with president Norman Darmanin Demajo telling the assembly yesterday that the association had received reports that Borg and Friggieri “were still lingering in local football circles”.

It was argued during yesterday’s Council meeting that the two former Spartans officials were under the jurisdiction of the MFA when the breach of regulations took place and both had admitted the charges.

In view of this, the MFA Council members unanimously agreed to ban Borg and Friggieri for life.

Licence applications

It was also announced yesterday that six Premier League clubs have applied for a UEFA licence. These are Birkirkara, Hibernians, Mosta, Qormi, Sliema Wanderers and Valletta.

Floriana had also applied but they have since decided to withdraw their application.

UEFA president Michel Platini has sent an email to the Malta FA confirming his intention to attend the final of the UEFA U-17 Championship at the National Stadium on May 21.

Melita player Kane Micallef has requested the MFA’s permission to file a police report after he was allegedly assaulted by Don Spagnol, a former Gżira United official, during a league match between the Division One clubs last month

Spagnol has been banned for one year by the MFA. The report on this incident is to be discussed by the Executive Committee.

Ħamrun Spartans have suspended goalkeeper Andrea Cassar for 28 days for “showing unprofessional behaviour towards club officials”.

The MFA have submitted its nominations for the Gieh l-Isport awards, being organised by the Kunsill Malti ghall-iSport on March 15.

The nominees are footballers Paul Fenech, Dorianne Theuma and Connor Borg, Pierre Brincat, the national women’s coach, Fr Hilary Tagliaferro and the women’s national team.

Division One club Birżebbuġa have accepted an investment proposal in the form of a twinning agreement with Milan-based club Brera.

Birżebbuġa have agreed to change their first team’s name to Brera Birżebbuġa St Peter’s but this still requires the MFA’s approval. The matter will be looked into by the Executive Committee.

FIFA have informed the MFA that it has abolished the licence for match agents.

Mark Vella, the goalkeepers’ coach of Sliema, has had his one-year ban reduced to six matches on appeal. Vella had been sanctioned for an altercation with a Tarxien player during a Premier League match in December.

Publius Agius, the brother of Frank Agius, a former Floriana council member, yesterday presented the minutes of the Malta FA council meetings between 1931 and 1935, to Darmanin Demajo.

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