The FIFA Forward programme, the future of youth and women’s competitions and opportunities to improve the transfer system and international match calendar were the main topics discussed during the fifth FIFA Executive Football Summit, staged in Amsterdam on Tuesday, 16th January, 2018.
Representatives from the AFC, CONCACAF and UEFA convened in the Dutch capital to discuss their experiences and country-specific issues and bring themselves up to date on the global game.
The summit provided all of the delegates with an opportunity to share their knowledge and coordinate next steps.
The Malta FA was represented by President Norman Darmanin Demajo and Vice-President Dr Matthew Paris. Also present for the meeting was Bjorn Vassallo, the former General Secretary of the Malta FA who now occupies the role of Director of Member Associations (Europe) at FIFA.
Darmanin Demajo gave a presentation on the projects done by the Malta FA with the backing of FIFA under its Forward programme.
These include a new hybrid pitch for the National Stadium which was completed in the summer of 2016, the installation of a new FIFA Quality Pro pitch at the Centenary Stadium and the Trophies Lounge which is part of a wider project to embellish the Millennium Stand.
Speaking to fifa.com, Darmanin Demajo, said: “Communication and co-operation are crucial. As a European country, we don’t often get the chance to interact at length with associations from different confederations. And you can see that the challenges we face aren’t too dissimilar.”
Darmanin Demajo added that the focus of the Malta FA lies on improving infrastructure and securing financing for all necessary facilities.
“In that regard, the FIFA Forward Programme is essential for us as it gives us an overview of how much money we have available for infrastructure, organising competitions and women’s football,” the Malta FA President said.
When launching this series of summits in Paris in November 2016, FIFA President Gianni Infantino made it clear that the beautiful game can only develop successfully if FIFA cooperates closely and communicates regularly with its 211 member associations.
“It is important that in future the decisions at FIFA are not dictated from the top but really come from those who have to engage with and organise football in their countries every day,” he said.
The following associations attended the fifth FIFA Executive Football Summit in Amsterdam: Iran, Kyrgyz Republic, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Anguilla, Aruba, Curacao, Suriname, Austria, Croatia, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Wales, Armenia.