MFRA issues directives for referees following assault on match official

The Malta Football Referees Association issued a directive to its members not to control any matches involving Sannat Lions until further notice following the assault by Sannat player Antoine Camilleri on assistant referee Andrea Pavia and the reaction of the Sannat supporters after this assault.

Direttivi mill-Malta Football Referees Association wara l-attakk tal-bierah f’Għawdex

Il-Malta Football Referees Association tibda billi tirringrazzja lill-amministrazzjoni tal-Malta Football Association tal-istqarrija u tas-sapport tagħhom f’dawn l-aħħar siegħat.

L-MFRA temmen illi l-bord tad-dixxiplina tal-MFA ser tagħmel dak illi l-Qorti ta’ Għawdex ma’ għamlitx, igifieri li tagħti sospensjoni denja lil Antonie Camilleri u kif, fuq kollox, huwa xieraq.

Madanakollu, il-kumitat tal-MFRA qiegħed jordna lill-membri kollha tagħha, li jammontaw għal kwazi mijja fil-mijja tal-ufficjali attivi ta’ pajjizna, sabiex qatt ma jaċċettaw, u għaldaqstant jirrefjaw logħob illi fihom ikun jista jilgħab Antoine Camilleri ġaladarba s-sospensjoni tiegħu tiġi fi tmiema.

L-imġieba ta’ uħud mill-partitarji ta’ Sannat Lions FC waqt dan l-attakk viljakk u vjolenti, fejn dehru jwaddbu l-birra u jobżqu lill-assistant referee waqt li kien mimdud fl-art wara li ġie aggredit minn Antoine Camilleri, hija waħda inaċċettabli. Sa siegħat wara dan l-attakk, l-ufficjali tal-logħba kienu għadhom qed jirċievu messaġġi ta’ theddid fuq il-midja socjali.

Għaldaqstant, u fuq kollox b’turija ta’ solidarjeta mal-uffiċjali ta’ din il-logħba, il-kumitat tal-MFRA qiegħed jordna lill-membri kollha tiegħu biex ma jaċċettawx logħob illi fihom ikunu ser jilgħabu kwalunkwe skwadra ta’ Sannat Lions FC b’effett immedjat.

Dawn id-direttivi jibqgħu fis-seħħ sakemm toħroġ kontro direttiva. Intant l-MFRA tistenna b’ħerqa deċiżjonijiet dixxiplinarji mill-MFA, mill-Gozo Football Association u minn Sannat Lions FC.

Il-messaġġ tal-MFRA huwa wieħed ċar. Kwalunkwe attakk fuq wieħed minna, ikun min ikun ir-referee, irrelevanti mil-liema livell dan ikun ġej, huwa attakk fuq kull wieħed u waħda minna.

Meanwhile MFA President Bjorn Vassallo issued a statement stressing that this incident was a very serious offence which has as a very negative impact and casts a very bad shadow on the game .

“The violent attack on a Malta FA match official during yesterday’s GFA Second Division League match is for me a very serious offence, equivalent to a corruption crime. It has a very negative impact and casts a very bad shadow on the game of football, repercussions that reverberate far more than the paltry fine of €100 handed out to the perpetrator of this violent crime during a sports event at a public venue.”

“Today we are victims of this cowardly act but this only strengthens the resolve of an entire movement that will stand up against the leniency shown in serious cases as those that occurred in Gozo,” Vassallo added.

“In the same way as we were the catalysts behind the changes in the legislation to fight corruption in sports, we will be advocating amendments to the laws and the disciplinary code to safeguard the sporting values,” Vassallo concluded.

On Sunday, Antoine Camilleri was charged in court and fined €100 and was banned for one year from entering any football ground.