Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1545696
8 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 3 JULY 2026 NEWS Appreciation: Alan Journo By Roger De Giorgio DURING the many years I have known Alan, I was al- ways deeply struck by his positivity and joie de vivre. A bon vivant; a culinary enthu- siast and a lover of all things beautiful. When in Gozo or Milan, Alan never stopped enjoying himself. He was known and appreciated by all, especially at Gleneagles, his favourite meeting place. He was viva- cious, exuberant and zestful. A lover of parties, convivial, friendly and warm. I always looked forward to being in his company. I was particularly struck by his generosity. Inviting friends regularly to his beau- tiful home in Tas-Sannat where he would personally prepare delicious pasta dish- es for numerous Maltese and foreign guests. He would visit Gozo year- ly for his summer holidays arriving on the eve of the Santa Margerita feast at Tas-Sannat. He would talk to festa goers, who inevita- bly recognised him in in his typical white attire with styl- ish heart-framed glasses and curly pony tail. Alan stood out at any event with his warm personality and interesting conversa- tions. He cared for people. He was a people's man. On his visits to Gozo, an island he loved, Alan, a foodie, would talk about all the new restau- rants and cafes that opened. He would have discovered them even before many of us regular visitors. He would guide his friends on which restaurants served good food and were worth visiting in Gozo and of course in Mlian and Rome. Alan was also a music con- noisseur. Well connected in the music and artistic world, he knew many renowned musicians personally. He followed events in Mal- ta and Gozo with a passion. Alan was no ordinary per- son. He was a great personality; a world citizen, really. To Michela, his wife, go my heartfelt condolences. I will miss him. Josianne and I, will miss the many enjoyable dinners we spent together in Gozo and Milan. Ciao Alan. Mi dispiace tan- to. Riposa in pace. Two BOV visa cardholders get to live the FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™ dream TWO BOV Visa Cardholders, together with their respective guests, were presented with an all-inclusive VIP package to ex- perience the FIFA World Cup 2026™ in the USA thanks to Vi- sa. The winners were drawn at the end of the BOV Visa Spend and Win FIFA World Cup™ campaign, which ran from 16 February to 26 April 2026. The lucky winners were present- ed with their prizes during an event held at the Ta' Qali Na- tional Stadium. The 1st prize winner, Capt. Alex Muscat Sciortino, won an all-inclusive 4-night stay in a 4-star accommodation in New York and two Category 1 tickets for the highly anticipated Final Match, which will be played at the New Jersey Stadium in New York on Sunday 19th July. The 2nd prize winner, Ms Fleur Marie Ghirxi, won a 5-night all-inclusive package in a 4-star accommodation in Miami, and two Category 1 tickets for two Group Stage Matches. Whilst congratulating the winners, BOV Chief Person- al and Wealth Officer, Mr Si- mon Azzopardi, thanked Visa for giving this opportunity to BOV customers. "Visa, apart from supporting one of the biggest football events in the world, such as the FIFA World Cup™, supports us every day with simplified and secure payments. To be eligible, par- ticipants needed to use their Visa cards more than 25 times during the promotion peri- od, and our winners got their first-hand experience of that convenience and peace of mind that Visa payments can offer, both through the wide range of physical credit and debit cards available, as well as through the digital wallet solution." Attending the presentation to the winners, apart from the Bank's Chief Personal & Wealth Officer, were BOV's Head of E-Banking Unit, Mr Chris Degabriele, BOV's Head of Marketing & Product Lifecy- cle, Mr Daniel Magrin, and Vi- sa Country Manager for Malta, Mr David Farrugia. With the 4-year wait now of- ficially over, FIFA World Cup 2026™ is currently running across Mexico, USA and Can- ada. This year's edition is the biggest and most exciting to date, with a record 104 fixtures played over a period of 39 days and with 48 national teams competing. BOV presenting the VIP package for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Alan Journo