MFA president Norman Darmanin Demajo, photo, believes that the Norway-Malta match was fixed.

Addressing a news conference yesterday, the MFA boss said: “In my opinion that match was fixed. I base my assertion on the evidence of what two people – Marijo Cvrtac and Ante Sepina – told the Bochum police, where they said who they were, who they met and where the meeting was held and what they talked about. All this is written in the transcript of the pages which related to the June 2007 European Championship Norway-Malta match in the now famous Bochum trial,” said Darmanin Demajo.

It is known that these two persons had mentioned about 200 cases of match-fixing and included among them was the Norway-Malta match.

Darmanin Demajo explained that after reading what these two people said and also due to the fact that they confirmed that a €200,000 bet had been placed on this particular match, then he came to the conclusion that the match was fixed and that there possibly might have been more players involved.

Last Friday, UEFA informed the MFA that Valletta FC player Kevin Sammut had been suspended for 10 years for match-fixing. On Sunday, the player denied UEFA’s claims.

The MFA president made it clear that it was not he or the MFA who had taken the decision. “This was not an MFA match. It was a European Championship qualifier and consequently it fell under UEFA’s jurisdiction. That is why they took the decision and not the MFA,” he added.

He went on to outline the facts as they happened before UEFA finally took its decision on Friday. He said it had all started way back in September 2010 when the German Police were interrogating two persons (the above mentioned Cvrtac and Sepina) on match-fixing of about 200 matches. “It was during these interrogations that the Norway-Malta match came to light and it is from there that the MFA sprang into action.

“After receiving more information, we decided to open our case with the help of the Police. Throughout summer we tried to get more information about the case but we had arrived nowhere. Then, in September, our Integrity Officer, Franz Tabone, attended a UEFA course and I asked him to try and get some help from UEFA. Contacts were made and finally we were handed the transcripts of the pages relating to the game in that Bochum trial. That was in October, and it was all in the German language, but we had it translated. It was there that we really had the first indication of what might have happened,” said Darmanin Demajo.

He said in that transcript there were details of phone calls, the hotel where the meeting was held, the bets, etc etc. Reading the claim made by two people to the German Police backed by facts and details was heavy. He added: “In my opinion, these two persons could not have invented the details. They were interrogated individually (not together) and their version of the facts was more or less the same. In actual fact, I think I consider this as overwhelming evidence to make me feel convinced that the match was fixed,” said the MFA boss.

Darmanin Demajo said the investigation started and with the help of the police, all those persons connected with that game – officials and all players who travelled to Norway as well as those in the national team squad and other officials who did not make the trip – were all interrogated. He added: “After about three months, that is in March this year, our report was ready and we sent it to UEFA, as we were requested by the European body. In April, the UEFA Inspector on the case came over to Malta as he wanted to question some persons. After that we were told that the UEFA hearing was to be made on 31 May.

“However, the players involved and their lawyers requested more time to be able to prepare their defence. UEFA accepted this request but the date was put back to 17 August (last Friday) because of other commitments, including the European Championship finals in Poland and The Ukraine.

“On Friday we were given the decision by the UEFA Control and Disciplinary Board in which it was stated that Sammut had been handed a 10-year ban while two other players, Stephen Wellman and Kenneth Scicluna, were acquitted as the findings of the UEFA Inspector were insufficient to take disciplinary action against them.

“The decision is binding on all European associations, including, of course, Malta. And UEFA is to request FIFA to make it a worldwide ban for Sammut.

“However, the decision may be appealed. Sammut and his lawyers are free to make their own decision. The cost of the fee for such an appeal is €1,000. The official decision is expected to reach Sammut and his lawyers by the end of this week, following which they will have three days to launch an appeal,” said the MFA boss.

The Malta Independent asked him whether any Norwegian players were mentioned in the dossier. The MFA president replied that only Maltese players were named. “There was absolutely no mention of any involvement by any of the Norwegian players on duty on that day. After all, Norway obtained the victory and the three points they wanted,” he added. They had won the match 4-0, scoring their last three goals in the final 18 minutes.

Darmanin Demajo said this case was an eye-opener. “Maltese football has been dealt a hard blow and we will have to work hard together to get the game back on its feet. We are well aware of the threat of match-fixing and its consequences. Even UEFA President Michel Platini’s main concern is this threat which might eventually ruin the game of football.

“Last Saturday I met the presidents of the local clubs and we decided together to start dealing with this threat. However, there will also be some positives following this case. Our young footballers will be addressed and notified on the consequences they will be facing if they become addicted to match-fixing. We can never give guarantees about what can happen in future, but we must continue fighting against this clandestine activity by a criminal gang. I am very saddened with what has happened. Like everyone else who follows Maltese football, I feel uncomfortable in such a situation,” he said.