During a meeting of the Council of the Malta Football Association (MFA) held yesterday, MFA President Norman Darmanin Demajo announced that money derived from UEFA solitary payments which were earmarked youth development, and which instead should have gone to local clubs between seasons 2002-2003 and 2006-2007, and amounting to €74,000, will now be distributed to the clubs it was due.
These payments from UEFA, and which had to be distributed to local clubs, had been recieved by the MFA and all other member associations.
However, Darmanin Demajo explained how even if in season 2001-2002 these funds were given to the clubs as was due to them, this was not done for five consecutive years, where the sums were not given to the clubs in their totality.
The MFA President went on to explain that it was only in the last two years of the previous MFA administration that the complete sum had been given to the respective clubs.
He also explained how in December 2008, he had personally written to the MFA Secretary General, highlighting what he considered to be misappropriation of funds.
Dr. Darmanin Demajo lastly announced that the MFA would be woking on how to distribute the money due to the clubs concerned.
Meanwhile, Hibernians were fined €5,000 by UEFA, after fans threw two plastic bottles onto the field, during the UEFA Europa League first qualifying round, second leg, against FK Sarajevo.
This was not the first time that a local club was harshly penalised by UEFA.
In 2011, during another UEFA Europa League qualifier, Birkirkara were fined €15,000, after some fans directed comments of racial abuse at an Albanian player of KS Vlaznia.
Later on, Valletta are also expected to be charged for an incident which occured during the first leg of the UEFA Champions League, second qualifying round, against FK Partizan.
Meanwhile, the Youth FA introduced yesterday new regulations, thanks to which children or irregular migrants can now also participate in the leagues and festivals organised by the Youth FA.
Children aged six to sixteen who came to Malta as illegal migrants, and are recognised as such by the Government, will be granted an FSR (Special Permission Form) to take part in the Youth FA competitions starting as form Season 2012-2013.
One of the new regulations states that a club may have up to a maximum of two players wich such a status on the field of play during the APS Bank LEagues, and the Under-13 “Inhobb il-Futbol” events.
With regards to transfers, such players are free to move from one club to another, but this may only be done at the end of the season.
Also according to the new regulations, no compansation or any form of gift can be presented to said players in order for them to join the nursery in question, as this would lead to the nursery being expelled from the competitions. All of the said regulations were discussed and approved in collaboration with the MFA.