Malta FA President Bjorn Vassallo said the association will be supporting both FIFA President Gianni Infantino and UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin for the elections that will be held next year as despite everything, they managed with their different practices to keep everything going, supporting member associations at every level, especially in the development of the game.
Bjorn Vassallo was addressing the second General Assembly of the Malta FA at the Centenary Stadium on Friday.
Vassallo opened his speech by showing appreciation towards the work done by club officials, saying that working in football as an official, volunteer and putting your hands in your pockets means being passionate about the club, the association and the game of football.
Photo courtesy of Malta FA
“Passion stems from the attraction that becomes love and always fills you with enthusiasm and commits yourself to giving your time and energy. And this is not easy, indeed to balance in today’s times, all of this is a great challenge. But you are always here. You are the ones who find the balance even if you spend so many hours away from your family to keep the game of football and the other disciplines that we organise alive.”
“And therefore, from the bottom of my heart, I say a big thank you because if this MFA were not what it is today and football in our country would not have made the progress it has.”
The Malta FA President said that the association’s Jubilee celebrations took centre stage in the first part of the season.
“Last season was truly full of everything. Among them, in its first part, the Association’s anniversary took priority as well as the opening of the National Football Centre.”
“These were two important milestones in the history of the Association, the anniversary which marks an enormous history of service towards the game and the community and an infrastructural investment which confirms how much this Association has grown and changed over time, how much it welcomes the challenges of the future and how ready it is to expand with projects both from a sporting/administrative and commercial point of view.”
Bjorn Vassallo went on to speak about the need of investment to improve the level of the game.
“At the pitch level we have experienced a better quality of football, with teams that are increasingly better prepared and a drive that maintains the interest of the public that has turned well to competitions including the Jubilee Cup. In the domestic arena, great work has been done and the results are felt but we do not want what Ħamrun Spartans did to be a one-off circumstance. We need continuity so we need more investment. And what we have managed to do where clubs can transform with a different model from a corporate point of view makes a lot of sense and I am pleased that we have already had clubs that have seized this opportunity so that they too can expand. This is the way forward, that we believe in ourselves, in our talent, in the knowledge and bravery of you entrepreneurs who lead together with the experts of the game who assist you and in the unity that with conviction always leads us to what is right in daily work and sacrifice.”
“The national teams also went through beautiful moments where we gave as much as we earned, and at the men’s level it was only in the Play-Off that we gave up our weapons but we did not give up. You know me well and you know how persevering I am so that what we did not do well, we analyse it and with determination we try again to achieve what we deserve. In the women’s field we participated in a competition that gave us no satisfaction other than that of learning more and preparing for better times which I am convinced will be very positive especially when I look at the work in the technical project and the emerging talent.”
With regards to governance, the Malta FA president said “In governance I am not lacking. We will always have circumstances that are challenging, but today’s MFA is prepared, has the structures in place and they work and are ready to always strengthen them. This cannot be denied and on this subject I think we have always been an example and what we have preached we have practiced with deeds.”
Vassallo spoke about the completion of the National Football Centre and the upgrading of other facilities.
“From the point of view of sports infrastructure, investment together with the Central Government has continued both in the sports complex in Ta’ Qali and in the club facilities. During the last year we have completed the National Football Centre which is today being used for the technical and educational purposes for which it was built, we have continued with small but significant investments in the other stadium in Ta’ Qali and in the Training Grounds and we have not stopped in changing the synthetic pitches in your clubs. All this when the MFA is recovering its financial position after years of difficulties, but during which time we have always been there for you and put you first to increase sustainability among the members. Now that the MFA is also making important steps in its financial recovery plan, I feel truly proud of each and every one of you who have always believed in me and my fellow officials, in the strategies I have proposed to you and in the diligence with which we have been able to lead. I would also like to thank the Ministry of Education and Sport who have always supported us in all the interventions we have needed.”
“But when it comes to capital projects, we will not stop here. During the last season, we presented another ambitious project that costs many millions but which should place the MFA in a very sustainable position for the future and which is expected to offer a sports facility through a renovated and modern National Stadium to thousands of practitioners and followers of the game. Nothing is impossible if there is the will and the genuine work is done, and we have that will and that genuineness and we will continue to show it with actions. Be patient but together we will get there.”
Referring to the controversy surrounding the FIFA Forward Enterprise promoted by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Vassallo said “On Monday I will be discussing with the Executive Board a case that I have certainly followed in the last few hours regarding international football and how it impacts MFA.”
“But before I repeat, I would like to state that as an Association, in recent weeks we have given a letter of support to both FIFA President Gianni Infantino and UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin for the elections that will be held next year. And we did not do this to flatter them, but because they truly deserve it because they have gone through difficult times and have managed with their different practices to keep everything going without things going into a state of decline, but instead have supported the members at every level, especially in the development of the game. We publicly thank them because whenever we asked, we found them and convinced them that they will continue to do so even if the alignment between them may never have existed. As we do in favour of the MFA, I am sure that they will do in favour of FIFA and UEFA by putting the best interest of the members first and the MFA is a member of both organisations.”
“All this is today’s football… strategies, politics, legal aspects, integrity, corruption, investment, trade, diplomacy, speculation, controversy, technology… because football is not an exception but a reflection of what the world is going through and we too must continue to change with the times if we get stuck and when we get stuck there is no progress but rather regression next to others. So we must consider everything and not judge only on what we assume but commit to what is factual and fair.”
“In this sense, the MFA will continue to evaluate all positions because only in this way will we be able to make the best choices without any ulterior agenda or conflict of interest and always in the mission of safeguarding football and not using it for purposes that do not honour the game.”
“It is only in this way that we continue to win credibility and respect from international institutions and on the pitch from our opponents.”
“The MFA is not against having its voice heard on the process that led to this project, it is not against the game continuing to be developed in every part of the world especially in small countries like ours and in less developed ones, it is not against receiving money for sports development in every scope as long as these come from legitimate income and above all the MFA and its officials always hope for dialogue and not for those circumstances that go against any type of sporting spirit.”
“The MFA encourages more transparency and collaboration and not for positions that limit you in what could be an important step for football to continue receiving funds that leave a strong impact on football in its most vulnerable areas. A small country like ours has never refused anything as long as it is legitimate and we will work in international forums so that everything is resolved and no one backs down.”
“This topic will continue to be discussed at the Executive Board meeting on Monday so that the MFA has a Board position on which it can rely.”