Former Malta Football Association secretary-general Bjorn Vassallo has urged caution in the face of growing calls for the MFA to abolish nursery compensation fees and allow children to move freely between clubs.
The Malta Football Players Association (MFPA) have launched a petition entitled: ‘A CRY FOR HELP: Stop the exploitation of our children in Maltese football’.
Bjorn Vassallo.“To move from one club to another usually the child’s parents or guardians have to pay a sum that can reach into the thousands,” MFPA wrote in their petition letter.
Although MFA regulations state that compensation – €300 for every season in which the player had been registered with a club – is to be paid in the event that a child, aged 12 and over, moves to another nursery, Vassallo, the outgoing MFA general secretary, highlighted the measures adopted by the association to safeguard the interests of children while protecting the solidarity concept as advocated by FIFA.
“Let us not lose sight of our identity and how far we’ve come,” Vassallo replied when asked about the nursery compensation issue during a news conference yesterday.
“For many years, since the eighties, our football nurseries have taken many children off the streets.
“This is their social mission. If we suddenly decide to scrap everything, what will happen?
“What we need is dialogue and a concrete plan for the good of all the components.
“This is already being addressed by UEFA through the social dialogue meetings between all stakeholders in the game. UEFA personnel will visit Malta again at the end of November for another meeting.
“In a local context, we have made significant progress since 2010.
“We have raised the nursery registration age from 10 to 12, lowered the threshold of the Amateur Players’ List to enable more youngsters who are not on that list to move freely, and introduced free loans for players who struggle for playing time at their parent clubs.
“In cases where children want to change clubs for social reasons, a request can be submitted to the Complaints Board which is made up of clubs’ and players’ officials, and headed by a neutral chairman.”
Vassallo pointed out that nurseries have a lot of expenses, especially to pay the wages of their coaches whose qualifications have improved significantly in the last decade.
Inevitably, given the hype surrounding the announcement that he is moving into a new job at world football body FIFA in the coming months, Vassallo faced questions about the MFA’s search for his successor.
“I can only talk about the association’s procedure to appoint a new general secretary,” Vassallo said.
“The MFA president will seek advice from those people he may wish to consult before choosing my successor.
“The president will then recommend the appointment of the selected candidate for the MFA Council’s approval.
“The general secretary’s role is the only non-elective post within the Malta FA’s administration.”
Apart from Angelo Chetcuti, the Birżebbuġa St Peter’s vice-president who is understood to be the front-runner to succeed Vassallo, Rodney Pisani, the MFA deputy general secretary who heads the association’s competitions department, is also being strongly linked with the post.
Faced with a question about speculation that he could be asked to take over from Vassallo, Pisani said: “The process is still at an early stage.
“I appreciate the fact that many people are putting forward my name, especially club officials, but I work for the MFA and, whatever happens, whoever is appointed to that role will have my total support and co-operation.”