Malta FA President Bjorn Vassallo stressed on the need of sustainability in the closing speech of the Malta FA General Assembly which was held on Friday.
“After the complete trust you gave me, together with the other official colleagues of the MFA, in the management of the Association, we started working so that what was manifested in the first quarter of this year begins is put into action which affects the Association and the members at the levels we believe there is a need to consolidate, change or even recreate.”
Photo courtesy of domenic aquilina / Malta FA
Vassallo said that the association has been working on the strategic aspects since 2020 and work continues.
“It doesn’t mean that we did everything right, or that everything went as we wanted, when we keep in mind the great hardship that the world has gone through and is still going through, but I have to say that most of the work has been positive and is paying off.
“There is no doubt that if we want to remain competitive we must always look not for what makes us the most comfortable, but what makes us the most balanced so that we remain attractive and the interest does not decrease. I will be honest, sometimes I feel that many look too much for what safeguards the individual position rather than the interest in a collective way. And the collective interest should always make sure to have a transparent and democratic association … stable and strong, competitive and sustainable at the same time. And to be in a position to safeguard the interests of you members. And you members should have the same thinking in the way you relate to your members. No one should pretend that everything falls from the sky, rather everyone should be diligent in the decisions that are taken so that in management and operation we are sustainable by satisfying the needs of the present without compromising the future for those who come after us.”
“Several times, because of the emotions that run through us or the pressure that overcomes us, we end up getting into commitments much bigger than those we can stand for. This applies to us, as well as to you and much more to your members who often oblige you or point fingers and when we get to the point everyone takes a step back. Therefore it is good to recognize our responsibility to make the arguments and requests in a legitimate way and that reflect the football pyramid. Obviously in this context the pyramid of domestic football.”
Bjorn Vassallo said that in the coming weeks, in the first Executive Board meeting for the new season discussion will focus on a number of schemes for members. Meanwhile a detailed analysis of the proposals which will be presented to the member associations in meetings during the month of August, the standing committees of the Challenge League and the National Amateur League will be convened to discuss with them the start of the domestic competitions and other relevant issues.
“You should know that we passed the last draft on the corporate restructuring of the clubs to the government. We explained the same framework to the members in the Opposition and now as Parliament resumes after the summer vacations, we are expecting all this to be approved in order to take another important step in the restructuring of our big clubs and at the same time we will have brought the Governance reform to completion.”
“I will reiterate what I have been talking about for the last few months, namely the importance of sustainability in everything we decide because if not, we will not be responsible and worthy administrators for the positions we represent. Everyone gives a lot of time and energy, I understand the efforts are great, but ultimately we are all judged on the performance, the numbers and the legacy we leave behind. I don’t want to get into the merits but our football both at the level of the Association and also members, we don’t want words and unnecessary praise but facts and wise decisions that lead to development and work in the community so that the mission of the football remains a priority in our work,” said Vassallo.
The Malta FA President revealed that in order to combat lack of communication on an internal level, for example, what is being discussed in the forums in the structure of the Association, as from the next Executive Board will excerpts of the themes discussed and the related decisions will be circulated to all members.
Vassallo concluded by saying that MFA officials, like all those in politics or in public roles, will want as much as possible to meet the demands of the members.
“On an organizational level, and in the majority of cases, we try to be as flexible and available as possible to find solutions and compromises, but this is not an excuse for what seriousness and legitimacy demands of everything we discuss and represent. We have many episodes when the issues are no longer logical but become a personal agenda. I will not accept this and I hope that you will not accept it within your structures so that first and foremost personal respect will continue to reign between us, but even more we will continue to work always in due regard to the regulations that govern us. It’s nice to compete, it’s nice to be sporting opponents, but the most important thing is that we continue to recognize our goals in the collective to increasingly move our football forward both in terms of development and performance.”