The Maltese and Croatian Sports Journalists Association as well as the Association of International Sports Press have written to the Malta Football Association (MFA) after last Monday’s incident in connection with the Press Conference by national coach Pietro Ghedin.

Two Maltese journalists – Henry Brincat of The Malta Independent and Rodney Vassallo of PBS – were precluded from attending the press conference because they arrived at 4.30pm and 4.35pm respectively – the conference was scheduled to start at 4.30pm.

There were also PBS camera person Edmond Curmi and Net TV camera person Roberto Runza who were also not allowed into the hall.

Croatian press reporters as well as some cameramen from Croatian TV stations were also not allowed to enter the hall where the press conference was being held.

The Ghaqda Gurnalisti Sports (GhGS) said in a letter to MFA secretary general Bjorn Vassallo, that such a situation was unacceptable as well as embarrassing for the MFA and UEFA as not even the representatives of the host broadcaster for the match – PBS – was allowed into the conference hall.

The GhGS statement added that no excuses are acceptable in the circumstances even if the press conference formed part of UEFA security for the match.

Meanwhile, the Croatian Sports Press Association president Jura Osmec has demanded an apology from the MFA for the way its members were treated during that incident last Monday.

And the AIPS, in a letter from president Ioannis Daras, went even further than demanding an apology from the MFA to the Maltese and Croatian colleagues. It added that it was requesting UEFA Media Services to investigate the incident and take whatever action necessary to rectify the matter which goes against the freedom of the press.

The GhGS statement concluded by saying that the official protest was not intended to identify the person or persons who were responsible for this incident.

Journalists kept out