MFA CEO Bjorn Vassallo spoke of a large number of reforms which needed to be made to the structure of Maltese football when reading the administrative report.

He said that everyone was involved in the reforms and there were considerable changes in the running of the association already. He said that collective work was made to invest in the future of the sport – to make football more sustainable and built on solid foundations.

The MFA is renewing itself and he referred to the reform in domestic competitions together with new incentives to make the game more commercially viable.

He added that there had been an increase in the number of spectators of 44 per cent – paying tickets;An 88 per cent increase in club’s income; social inclusion has also been given priority. “We built on what there already was available but we are looking at things with a different mindset,” he added.

Apart from the new committees and new officials, the Technical Centre is given major focus with Robert Gatt having been appointed as the new Technical Director. The Centre now offers clubs various opportunities for training with the best facilities and considerable investment has been made in the said centre.

Academies and Regions are also given importance and these have improved considerably under the stewardship of Carmel Busuttil. Space is given to the national team, the U-21 team, Women’s Football, Futsaal, Beach Soccer and obviously domestic competitions.

The report goes into substantial detail on infrastructural projects which include major upgrading work at the Ta’ Qali stadium complex as well as the Victor Tedesco stadium in Hamrun along with a number of new grounds such as those at Mosta, St Paul’s Bay and St Andrew’s.