Malta’s Euro 2016 qualifier against Norway inevitably brings back memories of the infamous 2007 encounter between the two countries that was at the heart of the most damaging scandal in the history of Maltese football.

On June 2, 2007 at the Ullevaal Stadium, in Oslo, the venue of today’s game, Malta succumbed to a 4-0 defeat to Norway in a Euro 2008 qualifying match after conceding three goals in the last 18 minutes.

For many years, nothing was heard of that match but, in 2011, it made headlines again for the wrong reasons after an investigation by the Bochum police re-vealed that the Norway-Malta qualifier had been targeted for betting purposes by a notorious criminal ring led by Croatians Ante Sapina and Marijo Cvrtak.

At the time, Cvrtak told German police that he had bribed four Malta players before the game, in the process triggering an extensive in-vestigation by the Malta FA integrity office, led by Franz Tabone and Adrian Camilleri, and UEFA.

To this day, former Malta midfielder Kevin Sammut is the only player who has been sanctioned in connection with this case.

He is serving a 10-year ban.

Outside the Ullevaal Stadium dressing rooms, there is a permanent display of various shirts from past international games.

Ironically, there is a Malta shirt (picture) signed by all players in the squad for that 2007 qualifier. It lies above a plaque commemorating that game alongside a photo of the Norway team that day.

For Norway, a reminder of a comprehensive win but for Malta a poignant reminder of the darkest episode in the country’s footballing history.