What many had feared would happen for several weeks now, came about yesterday when the BOV Premier League was thrown into disarray after Vittoriosa Stars were demoted to Division One following a decision by the Malta FA board to investigate corrupt practices last Friday.
The 2009/10 championship only started last week when the first round of matches was played involving all ten teams, including newcomers Vittoriosa. They were beaten 3-0 by Sliema Wanderers on Saturday.
Vittoriosa were embroiled in a match-fixing case which goes back to December 2008 when two St George's players admitted in court to having accepted bribes before a Division One match against Cottonera rivals Vittoriosa.
Andrea Gatt and Lawrence Mizzi were given suspended jail terms and fined €500 each after pleading guilty to charges of having accepted a bribe. Vittoriosa Stars FC vice president Manwel Ancilleri was among those charged but he denied his part in the case and is currently facing criminal proceedings in court.
After weeks of investigations, the MFA board in June deemed that there was enough evidence for Vittoriosa to face charges of breaching the association's statute, precisely rules 113, 114 and 115 which deal mainly with bribery in football activities.
Sources close to The Times yesterday said that the MFA board to investigate corrupt practices met again on Friday and finally reached a verdict on the Vittoriosa case.
Contacted yesterday, Vittoriosa Stars FC president Erskin Vella refused to confirm whether his club had been informed of the MFA board's decision.
"At this stage I prefer not to comment on this issue," he said.
"I won't confirm neither deny the news that we had received correspondence from the MFA. We are arranging meetings to see what is going on."
Vittoriosa will be meeting the media this morning in a conference call at Couvre Porte.
According to the notice received by The Times yesterday afternoon, the latest developments on the match-fixing case will be revealed to the press.
Last week, Vittoriosa paraded their new players, 14 in all, ahead of the new season.
When replying to a journalist's question whether the bribery attempt case was in some way disrupting their pre-season preparations, club secretary Gerald Ellul said they had worked relentlessly in summer to strengthen the squad and wanted to clear the club's name.
"Nothing has been proved against us so far," he told reporters.
"We want to clear Vittoriosa Stars from any wrongdoing."
At present, the same MFA board is also dealing with a similar bribery-attempt case involving another Premier League club Marsaxlokk who were beaten by champions Hibernians 3-1 on Sunday.
Marsaxlokk could also face similar heavy sanctions by the MFA board whose members are expected to meet again on this particular case on September 2.
Meanwhile, the MFA executive committee assembled yesterday evening but the Vittoriosa case was not on the agenda handed out to officials earlier this month.
However, the matter was surely discussed in length as before yesterday the association had refrained from giving information on the issue and, more importantly, what measures would be taken if there was a team losing its status in the Premier League.
In late July's annual general meeting, MFA president Joe Mifsud hit back at claims that the association was dragging its feet at match-fixing cases.
Some delegates lamented the investigations were taking too long but Dr Mifsud replied there were rules to follow and the procedure had to take its course.
"There are very few here who are familiar with the legal complexities of such procedures... I strongly believe that we must follow the principles of natural justice," he was quoted as saying.
Msida SJ, who finished ninth in the final Premier League standings last season and were relegated along with bottom-placed Ħamrun Spartans, had sounded their concerns for almost the entire summer, urging the MFA to speed up the process of the two match-fixing cases which could drag into further weeks of deliberations if appeals are handed in to contest the board's verdicts.
Msida contended that it was unfair on those clubs concerned to be asked to play in a higher division in such a short notice if some other club from the Premier League was to lose its place as a consequence of the investigation and possible measures taken.
Last season, Vittoriosa were promoted along with Dingli Swallows. Pietà Hotspurs finished third in the final standings ahead of St George's and St Patrick.
The second round of matches from the Premier League will be played next weekend with Vittoriosa scheduled to play Hibernians on Saturday.