Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1396480
7 NEWS maltatoday | maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 28 JULY 2021 KARL AZZOPARDI APPROVED changes to the Mal- ta Football Association's statute hope to address issues of mon- ey laundering and corruption in football, president Bjorn Vassallo said on Tuesday. The changes were approved in an Extraordinary General Meet- ing on Monday evening. Statutory changes are the first step in a three-part reform being carried out in line with an MFA strategy announced earlier this year. Elected officials within the Mal- ta Football Association will be subject to an eligibility check and due diligence following the ap- proval of a new statute. The MFA President and Vice-President's term will also be limited to a maximum of three years in office, of four years each. President Bjorn Vassallo said the changes will make the asso- ciation more dynamic, ensur- ing that stakeholders are more involved in discussions on the sport. "We want to promote an ad- ministrative style that is based on democracy, justice in sport, investment and accountability," he said. "The statute upgrading is part of a chain of reforms which includes club licensing and cor- porate restructuring." A new executive board, which is composed of 24 members, has also been formed. The board will have representatives from the Premier League, Challenge League, National Amateur League, Interest Groups, various representations and Malta FA of- ficers. Three general assemblies will also be carried out on a yearly ba- sis, replacing the annual general meeting. In an effort to ensure more sep- aration of powers, any decisions taken by the administrative body will be subject to a review by judi- cial bodies of the association. Speaking during the press con- ference on Tuesday, Vassallo said the MFA wants to strengthen institutional independence, and such reforms will help in moving the association forward in this re- gard. New licensing regime Next in the line for the MFA is a restructuring of its licensing re- gime, which will see clubs being awarded a license according to their professional status. The third stage of the reform will be the commercialization of club ownership, meaning clubs at elite level will need to have the majority shareholding owned by a company. By the end of 2023, clubs com- peting in the top tier league will need to be a commercial entity. Clubs will be split into two tiers – amateur and elite level. Such measures will help in re- ducing money laundering and corruption in the sport, accord- ing to the Bjorn Vassallo. He said the MFA was the first sport association to introduce an- ti-money laundering procedures in the country, with an advisory board formed to create policies on the issue. He also said the new structures will help in addressing the issue of club presidents leaving their teams when they decide, with owners obliged to sell the club before exiting the role. A number of clubs have ex- pressed their reservations on the issues, but the MFA President in- sisted that for the sport to move forward, such reforms have to be enacted. "If we cannot improve the ad- ministration of clubs, we will not see results on the pitch. Similar structures within UEFA and FI- FA have led to success," he said. "If you don't have the resources, you go to a lower level, the men- tality of everything goes has to stop." He said that when similar changes were carried out on countries similar to Malta, the level of the sport increased. "Cyprus, which has a similar population, with a similar cul- ture started off like us, and now they have clubs which are seeing a yearly turnover of €25 million," he said. MFA reform looks to address money laundering, corruption in Malta's football scene MFA President Bjorn Vassallo LAURA CALLEJA MALTA Air's first Boeing 737- 8200, which is expected to carry 4% more passengers than its pre- decessors, has arrived in Malta. Speaking at a press confer- ence, Malta Air CEO David O'Brien dubbed the aircraft a 'game-changer,' adding that the Boeing 737-8200 had reduced fuel consumption by 16% per seat, lower CO2 emissions and less 40% noise emissions. "This will enable the Ryan Air Group to develop its environ- mentally friendly, great service, flights direct to Malta as it leads European aviation recovery," O'Brien said. Also, at the arrival, Transport Minister Ian Borg welcomed the latest development as a first of what he hoped would be many. "The aircraft added to the Malta register is a strong en- dorsement of the excellence and professionalism of Malta's Civil Aviation Directorate. Direct air connections are vital to Malta, and I am delighted that these new aircraft can deliver more connections and visitors to Mal- ta while at the same time reduce fuel, CO2 and noise emissions," Borg said. O'Brien added that the over- sight from Transport Malta and the Civil Aviation Directorate was rigorous. "Our team of over 3,500 avia- tion professionals at Malta Air will continue to work hard to secure as many many of the Ry- an air Group's 210 aircraft order as possible for Malta," O'Brien said. COVID-19 related document checks by Ryan Air Asked by the media regarding reports that Ryan Air was not checking COVID-19 travel doc- uments. O'Brien said that Ryan Air's checking has been rigorous – and that the airline was doing well under the circumstances; however, the airline cannot be expected to be at the same level as customs officials. O'Brien denied that Ryan Air was creating a burden. Commenting on the ECDC red listing Malta, O'Brien remained positive he said that Malta was still a desirable destination due to its high vaccination rates. He said he hoped in the future, as other countries beef up their vaccination rates, Malta will re- think its policy of only allowing vaccinated travellers. Malta Air's first Boeing 737-8200 arrives in Malta Malta Air's new Boeing 737-8200