Cottonera club will play in the National Amateur League
The Malta Football Association Executive Board have turned down Senglea Athletic’s appeal against the decision of the local governing body of football to give Vittoriosa Stars the vacant place created in the Challenge League.
The Malta FA Executive Board had ruled that following Pembroke Athleta’s decision to forfeit their place in next season’s Premier League, Santa Lucia would replace them in the Premier League while Vittoriosa Stars, who finished third from bottom in Group A, would be reinstated in the Challenge League.
However, Senglea Athletic, who were the last team to be relegated from Group B after finishing ninth were overlooked.
Earlier this week, the Malta FA Appeals Board had accepted Senglea Athletics’ complaint over the decision and urged the Executive Board of the MFA to reconsider the interpretation and the application of Article 5 as it said that the “terminology used refers without a doubt to divisions and not sections.”
On Thursday, the Malta Executive Board met to discuss the Appeals Board ruling and while it took note of the decision they passed a resolution that the said article in question “is applicable only in cases where there is more than one vacancy.”
Therefore Senglea Athletic will now play in the National Amateur League.
“The Executive Board took note of the full decision as pronounced by the Appeals Board, in particular the fact that the Appeals Board found no ‘blatant breach’ of the regulations in the way the Executive Board had arrived at its decision of the 15th June 2022 on how the vacancy created in the Challenge League was to be filled,” the Malta FA said in a statement.
“Notwithstanding, the Executive Board followed the direction of the Appeals Board by taking into consideration the applicability of Article 5(ii)(b) of the Rules Governing Competitions.
“Following an open discussion the Executive Board voted on a resolution on the applicability of the said article, which resulted in 12 votes in favour and 2 abstentions. The resolution stated that the article in question is applicable only in cases where there is more than one vacancy.
“This was the first time that this procedure was being availed of by a Member Club. The possibility of an appeal from a decision of the Executive Board has become possible following the reform of the Statute approved last year.
“According to the Statute, such appeal can be filed by Members having a direct and substantial interest in a decision taken by the Executive Board and who deem that such decision was taken in blatant breach of the rules, regulations and bye-laws of the Association.”
