Apart from the elections for the officials of the association and the ordinary members of the Executive Committee and the approval of the Administrative Report and the Financial Report, other items on the agenda during the Malta Football Association’s Annual General Meeting including the approval of amendments to the statute and motions.

The Executive Committee had put forward a motion to grant partial amnesty to Julian Briffa who played for Sliema Wanderers and Mqabba last season after he was handed a life-time ban by the Board to Adjudicate Corrupt Practices on March 27, 2013 after being temporarily suspended on July 31, 2012.

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The fact that the player helped the Integrity Officer and the MFA Prosecutor by reporting other cases of corruption which led to the charging and suspension of others. This is deemed as the most effective tool to fight match-fixing. The player admitted his mistake and collaborated fully with the board in its investigation.

The motion was approved with 68 votes in favour, nine against and fourteen abstentions. Julian Briffa’s ban was therefore reduced to one year.

Amendments to the statute of the Malta Football Association included the competition rule which will raise the maximum number of foreigners on the field of play for Premier League matches from four to five and a maximum of six foreigners on the line-up for a particular game.

The amendment was approved at the MFA Council on Thursday but needed the approval of the AGM to be effective as from this season.

Another amendment regarded the minimum age for registration which was increased from ten to twelve years, effective as from January 1st, 2014. This amendment was also approved by the Council last month.

Distinguished guests at the MFA AGM on Saturday were UEFA vice-president and FIGC President Giancarlo Abete, FIGC international relations officer Sergio Di Cesare and UEFA Head of National Associations Development Thierry Favre.