25 years experience in local and international football including 3 years at FIFA

 

What he wants and his priorities

• President to be given 4-year mandate, but not more than 3 terms
• One of his priorities: Improvement in the sporting (national teams) and administrative (including technical) element
• Everyone - MFA, clubs and all stakeholders - to work together
• A restructured national stadium at Ta' Qali to be built in several phases keeping only the Millennium Stand
• Two regional hubs including a stadium in the South of Malta and a secondary stadium at Sannat in Gozo
• Assisting clubs to replace artificial turf introduced between 2007 2012
• A Malta team including some foreigners to play in an Italian lower division, in an effort to have an increase in the number of players with enough quality to be selected to join the national squad

 

MFA presidential candidate Bjorn Vassallo, a Director for Europe at FIFA, but also a former MFA CEO and secretary general, yesterday launched his campaign leading to next month's election for which also Dr Chris Bonnett, a former MFA vice president and until recently, UEFA's Integrity Officer in Switzerland, will be a contestant.

Vassallo said yesterday at Marsa, the place where Fr Hilary's Educational Sports Centre sprang to life in the early 1970s giving football in Malta the opportunity to turn from sandy pitches to the grass and artificial grass pitches we have today, that he became interested in contesting this election because he felt he had enough experience which could lead the MFA to achieve new targets.

He said that he had started his career at San Gwann FC at a young age, but he then became a club delegate in the MFA Council, before he was made secretary general and later CEO of the Association. In the last three years, he has been at FIFA, working in President Gianni Infantino's office, as the Director of the world football body for Europe.

He said: "I can assure everyone that the three years at FIFA have helped me gain immeasurable experience, which, if I am elected, will enable me to reach the targets I am proposing in the best interests of the association and the local football game in general.

"'Vision 2027 is the name of my campaign. That is because I will also propose that a president should be given a mandate for four years. My programme should last for the next eight years, although I am also proposing that a president should not be elected for more than three terms, that is 12 years in all."

Vassallo said his programme is divided in two, that is, the sporting and the administrative elements.

One of his priorities will certainly be the national team which he wants to see improving.

"At present there is only a small crop of players eligible for selection to join the national squad. To improve we need more players militating abroad. So I am proposing that a team squad of around 30 players will start playing in an Italian lower division, playing at home and away. My idea is to seek the acceptance of the clubs to have some of their players joining this MFA team. As to the local Premier League, I do not believe it will be effected.

"In actual fact, I think we will be able to strengthen it by introducing more youngsters who will then be fighting to earn their place in the MFA team, thus also contributing to increase the number of players eligible for selection to join the national squad.

"Let us not forget that other small countries like Liechtenstein, San Marino, Andorra and even Wales, have clubs playing in divisions of other countries. We can emulate them successfully, but only if we can work as a professional team squad - coaches and technical staff included.

"It is an opportunity which will help the players selected to grow as fully-fledged professional players. This team will be the basis of our national team. I have already had talks with FIGC officials who have agreed to stage more talks on this eventuality which can materialise in months," he added.

Vassallo also spoke about the administrative element, saying that his main priority here will be to see an increase in revenue for the clubs through a business development programme. "I already have a guiding document on how to reach our targets. But we must work together - no one will be excluded. We have to classify all clubs according to their budget. We must try to reach every corner of the country to get the best talented youngsters. Of course, I have no magic wand, but I firmly believe that my plan (strategic model) will be quite useful locally," he said.

The former MFA secretary general went on to say that the infrastructure which included all the MFA facilities needs a revamp.

"My plans are for the National Stadium to be restructured into a 10,000 capacity stadium (all seated). Only the Millennium Stand of the present structure will be retained. And the stadium will not have a running track. It will look more like an English football stadium. As it is, it has become unattractive.

"We have to work with all the stakeholders - government, clubs, partners etc, - to achieve our targets and this includes the plan for this stadium.

"Moreover, I am also proposing two regional hubs in selected places in the South of the island which will include a Stadium. I am also planning a secondary stadium for Gozo at Sannat, works on which have already begun," he said.

Vassallo added that he intends to assist those clubs which had their artificial turf installed between 2007 and 2012. He added: "I also want to maximise the value of the clubs in the top division. In this sense I think we must consider building a business centre for use by member clubs and member associations. Apart from this, it will also be important for the President to visit the clubs on a regular basis to be close to the people. I am convinced that the euro 1 million being generated by the Premier League today, could be increased to over euro 3 million in a few years. And in a similar way, we must also strengthen the clubs in the first division."

During his speech, Vassallo also referred to Futsal and Beach Soccer, adding that the former will have their playing facility also at Ta' Qali.

He also spoke about a revamp for youth football competitions and the introduction of an 11am kickoff time for the lower leagues. He also said he would like to see the introduction of regional leagues to enhance the youth sector. "I am also in favour of a longer mid-season break and wish to establish a Task Force to analyse quotas for home-grown and foreign players," he stated.

He also spoke about the 'Inhobb il-Football Foundation', the importance and growth of women's football as well as a revamp for coaching education which will include former members of the old Educational Sports Centre.

Vassallo added that he wanted more women working in the administrative field, possibly giving them leadership positions.

He also wants a new strategic plan for refereeing from now till 2023, which will see at least 15 new referees emerging each year through the ranks of an Academy from 2021.

Finally he spoke about football governance, stressing that it was important, in his opinion, to create a healthier and fairer domestic game at all levels; improve the club licensing system, and create an anti match-fixing unit with a policeman as an integrity officer.