André Schembri was born on 27 May 1986. He is married to Clarissa Ellul, a well-known TV personality. They currently live in Cyprus due to André’s football commitments.
At the age of 34 it’s not a long way to recall his childhood memories. André kick-started this interview by delving into his formation days. “I had a very good upbringing. I fully owe this to mum and dad. We were taught to make certain sacrifices. I was always taught that in life you need to work hard in order to get something. Today it’s much different. Parents tend to please children instantly. We are assisting to a change in society, both structural and brain functioning, while also potentially changing our social cloth.”
André was brought up in the Brothers’ schooling environment. “I attended primary school at St Benild’s School, Sliema and later on at Stella Maris, Sliema. Subsequently, I started a Diploma Course in IT at MCAST but had to cut it short because of my professional football career. I always wanted to further my studies and three years ago I started undergoing a course in Sports Science and Coaching in Football from the University of Hull. I eventually attained my degree and graduated last year.”
But how did his interest in football begin? Was it the game of football straight away? “When you are born in a football family it is difficult not to choose the sport. From a tender age I was watching football all the time. But the thing is that even though still young I didn’t just watch football but I also asked questions about certain instances, decisions and more. Football was and still is my passion.”
André is the son of Eric Schembri and grandson of one of the all-time greatest, Salvinu Schembri. But was the influence of his next of kin detrimental in making a living out of football? “It wasn’t just influence but also support. I had a football coach 24/7, namely my father. On the other hand nannu was my idol. I wanted to continue the family tradition. I wanted to do it with a difference, one step further, that of playing abroad. Nannu had a chance to play abroad but nanna did not let him go. In a nutshell I’m super proud of my dad and moreover of my grandfather.”
Schembri is a product of Floriana but interestingly he never played for this glorious team. What was the real reason behind this? “It was an amazing experience in my life. In football there are three stages, the foundation phase, the youth development phase and the professional development phase. With Floriana, which at that time was one of the leading nurseries in Malta, I had developed the most important individual fundamentals in football. If you don’t develop the individual fundamentals in the foundation phase you will never reach your full potential as a football player in the future.
Another asset was that my father was the head coach who was flanked by a group of good coaches. But when Anthony Grech Sant broke up with the Greens we left. And our destination was Hibernians. But I can say that with Floriana I had wonderful experiences and learnt a lot.”
From youth football André passed on to professional football. “My stint started in Malta where I made my debut with Hibernians at the age of 16 and the following year I practically played all the season. But with Hibernians it all turned sour when Aston Villa, an English Premier League club, invited me to join them for a trial. After the Paolites, I joined Marsaxlokk where I played for two-and-a-half years with the Seasiders. Though not jotted down in the contract I had a verbal agreement with Victor Sciriha, who at the time was their supremo that should a foreign club crop up, I will not be denied the chance. With Marsaxlokk I had an amazing experience.”
The next stop for André was to be abroad – the beginning of a long but successful road. “I played in various countries namely Germany, Austria, Hungary, India, Portugal, Greece and Cyprus. My career started in Germany with Eintracht Braunschweig and Carl Zeiss Jena. I learnt a lot, not only about football, but also about the culture which you have to adapt to. After a short span in Austria with Austria Kärnten in 2010 I joined the Hungarian side, Ferencvaros with whom I played 36 matches scoring 16 goals including two hat tricks. That was a particular year since I won the Sportsman of the Year award.”
“In Hungary life was easier since there was another Maltese with me, Justin Haber. After one-and-a-half years I went to Greece joining Panionios and there I also had a chance to go and play in Italy. In 2012 I joined Omonia Nicosia and stayed in Cyprus for two years. There I played 58 matches scoring 23 goals in the process. After a short stint in the Bundesliga with FSV Frankfurt it was back to Omonia for another two years playing another 45 matches and scoring 19 goals. After nine years living alone my family joined me in Porto when I signed for Boavista in Portugal in 2016. Things started to look better as now I had my family with me… living nine years alone in five different countries is not easy. In the Primera Liga I played 30 matches and scored three goals. Back to Cyprus between 2017 and 2019 this time with Apollon Limassol where I played 57 matches and found the net 10 times. One of the goals was against Atalanta in the Europa League. There I played against the likes of Lazio, Marseille and Everton among others making it a wonderful experience.”
“Finally my voyage ended in another continent India, a nice football and cultural experience. There I played with Chennaivin FC scoring five goals in 18 matches.”
Schembri played 94 matches with the national team scoring three goals. “It is the greatest honour when you put on the national shirt. I was not just a normal player but I was, and still am, a great supporter of the national team. I used to go and watch Malta play since the early 90s. I have nice and even ugly experiences. But on a positive note, under Duzan Fitzel, we won matches and got points. The supporters were coming back in droves and I can still remember vividly the atmosphere against Turkey. But there were also the ugly moments – minimal resources, apathy within the MFA towards the national team and much more. But things have now got a positive twist since Bjorn Vassallo was elected as president of the Association.”
One of the highlights of his career was the match against Italy played in 2012 at Modena. So much so that footballing legend Andrea Pirlo mentioned Schembri in his autobiography referring to him as a “football kamikaze”. But what are his memories of this unforgettable match? “Yes I remember Pietro Ghedin who was our coach at that time telling me that I had to sacrifice myself for the team and that I was to be assigned a man-to-man marking role with the Italian maestro. I was giving him just a few metres space. In fact he was constantly telling his players to come out more in order to help him create since the action normally started from his feet. I remember that following the final whistle he came and asked me why I played that match. Obviously my reply was the plain truth; that those were the instructions given to me by our coach. I had promised a friend of mine Pirlo’s shirt and I asked him for it and he duly acknowledged.”
But Schembri hit the headlines once again when following the match played at Wembley Stadium against England in October 2016 he was harshly critical of the national team set up. “A couple of years before we played Denmark and lost by a six-goal margin and I had a similar outburst. Against England I couldn’t stand it anymore. Was it a football match or a football holiday? I could practically see all the entire MFA administration in London. On the football pitch it wasn’t about losing but how. This was the time that I had to talk. And I don’t regret it since this paved the way for certain things to being done better. Moreover, I had the full support of the Maltese public. My message was genuine for the benefit of the game.”
And now that the national team is getting back on its feet, what is André’s opinion. “There is a different administration and a different mindset. During Norman Darmanin Demajo’s tenure the investment was being pumped into other sectors since for them the national team couldn’t progress further. Now the story is much different. We are giving tools to the players. There are about seven coaches and an elite performance level. The difference has already been seen in the Nations League. When did we ever see a Malta side adopt that style of play? To be honest I was full of envy and wished that I was part of the group.”
This is the present. But what about the future. Both immediate and long term. The structures of nurseries, clubs and the national team sector. “In general it is difficult to say since resources are spread on many clubs. In 2021 we still don’t have a club which has a professional set-up. The Premier League should have standards which means that promotion from the Challenge League doesn’t mean a divine right to play in the top league. As a long term vision we have to look at the grassroots which are very important, change the Premier League and restructure the nurseries. Even here why are we still referring to them as nurseries and not academies? And the more the players try their luck abroad the better for them and for the game in general. Regarding the national team I still say there is no limit. I believe that one day we can qualify for a major tournament.”
Going back to André’s personal experiences he mentions the good and also the bad moments. “Without doubt the goal scored against Atalanta in the Uefa Europa League was my best experience. But during that moment I decided not to celebrate and dedicated that goal to Daphne Caruana Galizia, who had just been killed three days earlier. With that goal it came naturally to me to think about a reporter’s freedom and the life of a mother of three children. As regards the bad moments I can say that the environment within the national team kept me from showing my full potential and this hurts a lot.”
André published his autobiography, Ten years playing in Europe, a first for a Maltese footballer – a publication which details his successes and even his struggles. “When I was young I used to read a lot of autobiographies and I always wished that one day I will write mine. Finally I did it and I wanted this book to be a reference and guideline for those players who wish and dream to play abroad.”
Schembri has now ended his playing career and went straight to coaching in the youth sector with Apollon. But what made him take this decision? “My grandfather was a coach, my dad also. I used to go and help dad since I was young. I tend to prefer coaching more than playing. I wish that I will make it as a coach and my dream is to coach abroad. I’m enjoying every moment and hopefully this year I will start my UEFA A Diploma. But in the back of my mind is that one day I will be the Malta national team coach.”
André recently fulfilled another dream which can ultimately benefit Maltese players. “Together with my close friend and also mentor Christian Vassallo we co-founded a company called Traainer. The objective of this company is to shape future professionals by maximising individual potential. I always had it at the back of my mind that once I retire I will create a project to help those Maltese players who really want to make it abroad. And with Traainer we are preparing local players with more individual care than even those abroad.”
Turning our attention to a more personal aspect André mentioned the importance that his family has in his life. “Family is everything. I was brought up in a family with principles and values. My wife made a lot of sacrifices, leaving her career and joining me abroad. They are the people that truly support you. For example my parents always gave me their full support. For them having three children, me and my brother and sister, all working abroad is very difficult for them. But we have always found them there supporting us and encouraging us to try to be the best.”
Talking about his culinary taste buds André chose pasta as his favourite dish. Linked to this came his travel preferences. “I love Rome. Maybe that’s why I love pasta so much. But above all I love the art, the culture and the Eternal City’s history. Moreover, I’ve also got a soft spot for Roma as a football team.”
But does Schembri have any hobbies since football is not anymore so. “I like reading a lot especially books about local and even foreign politics. As for free time though football takes a good chunk of the day; I try to enjoy my family as much as I can.”
This interesting interview couldn’t end without one final message from this young football legend: “If you have a dream do it. Get out of your comfort zone. Never be afraid. The sky is the limit. Don’t think that because you are Maltese you can’t do it. We have nothing less than any other person on this globe. Always believe in your abilities and get out of your comfort zone to be the best you can be.”