Thirty-three year old defender Jurgen Pisani was handed a fifteen-month jail term by Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech after being found guilty of trying to manipulate the outcome of the BOV Premier League match between Santa Lucia and Birkirkara on May 3, 2024. 

Despite denying the charges, Pisani was found guilty in a court on Tuesday. 

Pisani, and Santa Lucia FC, have been acquitted of all charges following proceedings before the Malta FA Control, Disciplinary and Ethics Committee – Integrity Panel in August 2025. Proceedings were initiated in April 2025 but after careful consideration of the evidence presented, the Integrity Panel of the Malta FA determined that the charges were not proven.

Meanwhile Police had launched an investigation after Birkirkara FC president Michael Valencia informed the Malta FA integrity officer Herman Mula that one of the Birkirkara players, Maxuell Maia da Silva, who was included as a substitute towards the end of the first half, had been approached during the match but Steve Pisani and Jurgen Pisani.  According to Maia, Steve Pisani did not offer him any money but Jurgen Pisani offered him €2,000 to refrain from scoring.

When considering the punishment, the court considered Pisani’s clean criminal record and the circumstances of the case.  It also noted that Pisani was committing offences against the Prevention of Corruption in Sport Act. Since he was a public officer, the offences were further aggravated.

Consequently, Pisani received a 15-month prison sentence and a ten-year ban from participating in or attending any sporting events or being in any building associated with a sporting organisation.  He was also permanently interdicted.

This is the first time in over three decades that a football player was handed an effective jail sentence for an attempt of match-fixing after a player had been jailed for three months after an attempted bribery case related to a match between Hamrun Spartans and Floriana.