The draws of the Premier League, Division One, Division Two and Division Three will be held on July 3.
Angelo Chetcuti, general secretary of the Malta Football Association, told the Malta FA Council that the Premier League season kicks off on August 18.
This year’s championship will be composed of 14 teams who will be facing each other twice on a round robin format.
For his part, Norman Darmanin Demajo, the MFA president, congratulated the 19 coaches who successfully completed the first UEFA Pro Course conducted by the MFA Technical Centre.
Darmanin Demajo said it is indeed an honour for the Malta FA and local football in general, that such a high-level coaching course has been held in our country.
The MFA chief urged locals clubs to show more faith in Maltese coaches, especially those who have obtained the UEFA Pro licence. During the meeting, Darmanin Demajo also spoke about the new Trophies Lounge on Level 2 of the Millennium Stand.
The Trophies Lounge Membership gives holders access to the nicely-decorated and spacious hospitality area, with optimal views of the pitch, and a seat in the VIP zone for all the domestic and international matches.
The VIP sector in the Millennium Stand has a total of 470 seats and the membership fee for season 2017/18 is €575.
While the Trophies Lounge membership is a new concept for Maltese football, corporate hospitality facilities are common in football stadia overseas.
“We believe it’s worth a try,” Darmanin Demajo said of the Trophies Lounge membership.
Darmanin Demajo welcomed the publication of the Legal Notice regarding the Law for the Commercialisation of Sports Facilities. The Legal Notice was published on May 31, 2017.
The MFA president said this constituted a very positive step for local clubs as it would enable them to carry out commercial activity on their sports premises.
Darmanin Demajo urged clubs to exercise caution when negotiating with potential investors.
Dr Chetcuti provided an update on the state of affairs at Division Two club Marsaxlokk FC.
The southseasiders were compelled to call off their Annual General Meeting earlier this month owing to a shortage of candidates who put their name forward to form part of the club’s committee.
Their situation was discussed during a meeting of the Malta FA Member Status Committee last week but things are looking better as Marsaxlokk FC representatives have since notified the association that they are confident of solving their difficulties.
The MFA Council also discussed a request from a professional player who, despite being entitled to a free and unconditional release at the end of his contract, had been unable to sign for a new club as his previous club had a transfer prohibition.
The proposal to allow out-of-contract players who have the right to a free and unconditional release to sign for a new club even if their former employers have a transfer ban, was upheld by the MFA Council.
The MFA Executive Committee endorsed the Member Status Committee’s decision to accept the applications of Marsaskala FC and Ta’ Xbiex FC to take part in the Third Division league after the two clubs occupied the last two positions in the standings at the end of last season.