The Bank of Valletta and the Malta Football Association yesterday signed a new three-year agreement through which the Bank is recognised as the official sponsor of the national leagues and the Super Cup, covering this season and the next two seasons.

It is the third consecutive sponsorship agreement that the Bank has signed with the MFA.

It was signed at the end of a news conference yesterday by Tonio Depasquale, Bank of Valletta CEO and Michael Galea, Chief Officer Operations at the Bank, and Norman Darmanin Demajo, president of the Malta FA, and Antoine Portelli, MFA treasurer.

Addressing the press, Depasquale said the Bank was pleased to be contributing towards the development of football in Malta.

He also said that for the first time, a new feature of the agreement will be the sponsorship of the women’s league. “This will widen the Bank’s involvement in all sectors of Maltese football,” he said.

He added that the Bank was committed to support and promote sports in Malta. “It is a pillar of the Bank of Valletta’s Community programme. We are delighted that the clubs are benefiting directly from this sponsorship enabling them to further invest in the development of players and the game.

“We are also pleased to hear that attendances are on the increase confirming the game as the most popular sport on these islands,” said Depasquale.

He wished the MFA every success and said that the Bank was looking forward to continue to work closely with the association and to support its efforts to promote the game in Malta.

On his part, the MFA president thanked the Bank for its continued support to the game of football. “This sponsorship consists mostly of direct aid to the clubs in the national leagues.

Darmanin Demajo said that like this agreement, even those signed previously had involved substantial amounts to the clubs. “But this agreement also covers the BoV Monthly Player Award and the branding of the Bank at the Ta’ Qali Stadium apart from other things. It is sure to benefit both the Bank and the MFA,” he argued.

He lashed praise on Depasquale who will soon be retiring as the Bank’s CEO, saying that he will be leaving behind a legacy which goes beyond the sponsorship agreement. “We negotiated mainly with this true gentleman. And thanks to the Bank’s support, we could make a revolution in our infrastructure at Ta’ Qali and other venues,” he added.

Darmanin Demajo said: “At a time when new regulations regarding Financial Fair Play are being introduced for all European clubs, the Bank’s continued support for Maltese football is welcomed and appreciated by the MFA on behalf of all its member clubs, who are the ultimate beneficiaries of this sponsorship.”

Darmanin Demajo concluded by saying that the MFA remains committed to raise the level of the game and to continue to upgrade the facilities at the stadia for the benefit of the players and the local sports enthusiasts.