The Malta FA Bureau has suspended all domestic football and futsal competitions indefinitely in line with the directives of the local health authorities.
The decision was taken after the Malta Football Association Bureau held another videoconference meeting today to look at the latest developments related to the COVID-19 crisis.
It emphasised the Association’s commitment to safeguarding the health and well-being of the players, clubs, fans, officials, staff and the entire football community, the MFA said on its website.
The Malta FA is maintaining regular contact with the local and international stakeholders, especially UEFA and FIFA, as it continues to monitor this evolving situation closely.
UEFA has called a videoconference with the General Secretaries of the 55 Member Associations to share the latest updates on the progress made by the two working groups that were created two weeks ago and to discuss proposed options with regards to the collective commitment of potentially rescheduling the matches from domestic championships across Europe.
Locally, a separate videoconference, for the members of the Social Dialogue Committee, will also take place on Wednesday. Following up on the meeting held last Thursday, the Social Dialogue Committee will be continuing discussions and take decisions on football-related employment and regulatory matters in light of the negative financial impact and disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Malta FA is facilitating dialogue between local clubs and representatives of players and coaches, and has called on them to agree on an ad-hoc collective bargaining agreement based on different scenarios.
FINANCIAL AID
The Malta FA Bureau has expressed its gratitude to the Government for extending the financial aid measures announced last week to the sports sector.
The Association appreciates the fact that, during these difficult and unprecedented times for everyone, the Government has taken heed of its appeals to increase the level of financial assistance for the sports sector which has also been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.