Don’t be afraid of change, Malta FA president tells clubs in General Assembly

Malta FA president Bjorn Vassallo has appealed to all clubs to continue to support the local governing body of football’s drive to change how the game is managed in Malta through its new statute.

Speaking during the MFA General Assembly, the association chief said that Thursday’s meeting has showcased the association’s efforts to implement a number of changes to ensure a better future for the ‘Beautiful Game’ in Malta.

“The MFA is currently going through a number of changes that were implemented by other football federations and that we believe will help to improve the game in Malta,” Vassallo said.

“It is important that the association and the member clubs together show their determination to fulfil all the changes needed if we want that we reach higher levels in all areas of the game in the near future.

“We need to eliminate the stigma that existed for several years that said that we will always remain stuck in the modest levels of the past and that we can never aspire to higher objectives.

“But in the last 12 months a lot of progress was made and if we continue to work together, we can take the game to a higher level.

“Our main responsibility as administrators is that we safeguard the interests of the game of football and that we leave it  for those that will succeed us on a much stronger foundation.”

The MFA president said that there are a lot of challenges that both the association and the football clubs face every day.

“However, the most important thing is that we manage to convince the people who do not form part of the game to believe in our strategy,” Vassallo said.

“Sometimes I find it hard to convince people of all the good things that are being done in football – particularly the work carried out voluntarily by all football administrators and the huge financial sacrifices they entail for the good of the game as well as our local communities.

“That is why I approach the country’s authorities with great conviction to try and bring more financial assistance that will enable us to improve the game in Malta.”

The Malta FA president said that he is hopeful that by the end of 2023 the MFA will have implemented all the reforms of the statute that will help our football community to synchronise with FIFA and UEFA’s ambition of having a sporting model that is based on inclusion, sustainability and the interests of the citizen.