The Sylvano Comvalius case stirred controversy once again during yesterday’s MFA council meeting after club delegates approved the Executive Committee decision that ordered Ħamrun Spartans to pay €28,180 in legal expenses.

The matter was put for discussion by MFA president Norman Darmanin Demajo.

In July 2012, Ħamrun had successfully appealed to CAS against a FIFA ruling which condemned the Maltese club to pay over €230,000 (including interest) to three clubs after signing Dutch forward Comvalius in 2009.

The clubs involved, all Dutch, had argued they were entitled to training compensation and had referred the matter to FIFA whose Dispute Resolution Chamber ruled in favour of the applicants.

Ħamrun had their way in the appeal to CAS but the issue of who was to pay the assisting lawyer was still pending.

Darmanin Demajo said that during a meeting they had with Ħamrun officials, the club delegates had insisted they were not the ones who should fork out the expenses.

“We deemed otherwise, however, and the Exco unanimously agreed that Ħamrun should foot the bill,” Darmanin Demajo told council members yesterday.

Hamrun delegate Victor Cassar intervened and said it was unfair on his club to be forced to pay the bill. After all, he contended, the case only cropped up after poor handling by the MFA.

Cassar said: “We were misled by the Malta FA in that transfer process. We presented all documents required at the MFA offices as requested in October and there was no response for more than six weeks. Nobody from the MFA had informed us that we could be facing training compensation claims if we signed the player.

“We feel that the MFA should have handled this case better.”

Darmanin Demajo retorted that the MFA had already paid 6,000 euros to a Swiss lawyer as legal advice before the appeal was heard.

He now felt Hamrun should cover the rest of the expenses.

Council members were then asked to give a show-of-hands vote to decide the matter.

This normal procedure at the Centenary Hall also drew an uproar as at one point Cassar indicated that the MFA president was trying to influence the outcome of the vote.

When the counting was over, 30 members had voted in favour of the Exco decision, eight against and there were 10 abstentions.

The terms of payment by Ħamrun are yet to be determined.

Other matters

• During yesterday’s council meeting at Ta’ Qali, the Malta FA accepted a request by Floriana FC who had asked permission to open a police investigation over Johann Said’s administration during his time as president of the Premier League club.

Darmanin Demajo said he saw no reason why the council should not vote in favour of such request.

• Valletta FC informed the Malta FA that Ivan Zammit has been co-opted in the club’s committee.

Zammit returned to the Citizens’ fold earlier this month when he was appointed as technical director.

• Zurrieq FC will be holding an extraordinary general meeting in the coming days to elect a new committee.

The Division One club had taken this step after six committee members had tendered their resignation en bloc, forcing the committee to be dissolved.

• The Chamber of Advocates asked the Malta FA for a clarification over a rule in its statute which it feels discriminates against lawyers.

The rule states that lawyers cannot represent local football clubs as delegates.

Darmanin Demajo said that he could understand the Chamber of Advocates’ point of view and said the matter will be discussed more thoroughly in the next council meeting.

• UEFA have informed the Malta FA that the two-year ban handed to Għaxaq player Mark Ellul, after he failed a doping test, has been extended worldwide.

Ellul was sanctioned after he tested positive on a banned substance earlier this season.

More powers to general secretary after EGM vote

A new set of amendments, giving more powers to the MFA general secretary, were approved yesterday.

During an extraordinary general meeting at the Centenary Hall, it was agreed that the general secretary will be given the authority to appoint a board to investigate any unsporting behaviour committed by a player or a club official, unseen by match officials, during matches organised by the Malta FA.

Now, the general secretary also has the jurisdiction to decide whether to open disciplinary proceedings against a national team player who refuses a call-up.

He will also has the power to appoint and discharge Malta FA employees after obtaining approval from the president.

The EGM also approved that at the end of each season, the general secretary will approve registrations of players and clubs as well as establish the documents needed by clubs in case of a transfer or loan of a player to a foreign club.

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