Carmel Busuttil is no longer the assistant coach to Horst Heese.

The former Rabat Ajax, KRC Genk and national team ace and captain told The Malta Independent yesterday that his contract with the MFA had ended in June and no negotiations were held after that date with the MFA.

In actual fact, in a statement on Thursday announcing the new squad for the coming season, the MFA made it clear that Horst Heese was being assisted by Mark Miller.

Busuttil yesterday said he is an employee of Pieta Hotspurs where he works as head coach of the club’s nursery.

Asked if he would reconsider joining the national team squad, if asked to do so, Busuttil said he had to get permission from Pieta president Edward Schembri first. “At the moment, I am only concentrating on the Pieta nursery job,” he said.

When he was appointed assistant coach of the national team squad 19 months ago, and Heese was appointed coach till the end of this year, the press had been told that Busu was earmarked to become Malta’s national coach after Heese.

Yet, it now seems that Mark Miller is the top favourite to land the job if the MFA decides against bringing in another foreigner for the top job. Miller is English, but has been here for several years now. He is also the national Under 21 coach.

Meanwhile, Heese remained adamant in his decision to make do without two of his experienced players in the national squad: Sliema defender Jeffrey Chetcuti and Sliema midfielder Stefan Giglio.

The Blues duo, as well as Jamie Pace of Marsaxlokk, were not included in the squad to start training as from Monday at Ta’ Qali, in preparation for next season.

The two formed part of a group of players who were disciplined by Heese after they disobeyed orders while the squad was in Iceland for the World Cup qualifier in June. They had also been left out of the team at that match, acting only as substitutes on the bench.

Among the new squad is Sliema midfielder Orosco Anonam who has thus received his first national team call. The Nigerian-born Anonam became a Maltese citizen earlier this year.

Returning to the squad after lengthy injuries are Antoine Zahra of Birkirkara and Ian Ciantar of Sliema.

The first commitment for the team will be a friendly against N. Ireland on 17 August.

The next World Cup qualifier is on 3 September against Hungary in Budapest. Then it faces Croatia four days later. The last match is against Bulgaria at Ta’ Qali on 12 October.