Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/685221
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 29 MAY 2016 8 JURGEN BALZAN MALTAREGISTERED company Gol Football Malta, which in 2015 bought a Belgian football club for €8.5 million, has sold the club for €10 to another Maltese company, Latimer International Limited. In July 2015, Israeli super agent Pini Zahavi saved Belgian top flight club Royal Mouscron-Pé- ruwelz from financial ruin by in- vesting a reported €8.5 million in the club to buy 90% of the shares. However, in a bid to circumvent FIFA rules, which prohibit clubs from being owned or controlled by football agents, the club was sold for €10 to another Malta- registered company owned by Za- havi's nephew, Adar. The change of ownership in Feb- ruary has caused a storm within Belgium's footballing world, with many questioning why the sale was allowed by footballing au- thorities. "The price of four loaves of bread. That's what the Maltese company Latimer paid to be own- er of Royal Mouscron-Péruwelz," Belgian online newspaper Sport/ Voetbalmagazine said. The sale of the club to Latimer allows Royal Mouscron-Péruwelz to obtain a licence for the 2016/17 season. Latimer has a capital of €1,200 yet days after it acquired the club, it injected €2.5 million in the club, raising suspicion on the true source of the money. Although FIFA's third-party ownership rule prohibits agents from owning or managing clubs, the super agent's relatives, Adar Zahavi and Gil Zahavi sit on the board of directors. Mouscron-Péruwelz went bank- rupt in 2010 and despite being promoted to the top tier of Bel- gian football for the first time ever in 2014, the club has been in a fragile financial state ever since, generating little revenue and at- tracting few fans. French Ligue 1 club Lille be- came a majority shareholder of the Belgian club, but parted ways with Mouscron-Péruwelz in 2015. The Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said Al Said, with an esti- mated net worth of $700M, was rumored to be interested in tak- ing over the club, but this never materialised. In July 2015, Zahavi and Abdil- gafar 'Fali' Ramadani bought the club with Belgian media describ- ing the Maltese company Gol Football Malta, which is owned by Zahavi's Gibraltar company Gol Football (Gibraltar) Interna- tional, as a "smokescreen." Zahavi committed to inject €8.5 million over three seasons to not only cover costs, but increase the playing budget by 50%. English giants Chelsea, who have close ties to Zahavi, could stand to gain from the Israeli agent's involvement with the Bel- gian club. Chelsea could use Mouscron- Péruwelz to blood younger play- ers, allowing them to develop in the top-flight football. In 2003 Zahavi was central to Russian billionaire Roman Abra- movich's acquisition of Chelsea, and to the influx of star players that followed. Zahavi became an influential member of Abramovich's inner circle and was estimated to have earned as much as €6.5 million from the €146 million Chelsea spent on players that summer. The Belgian club could be used by Chelsea to circumvent strict work permit laws in the UK and sign non-EU players who can be signed by the English club at a later stage once they have played in an EU country. News Belgian football club bought by Malta-registered company for €10 Israeli agent Pini Zahavi is one of the most powerful men in world football Doctors to go ahead with industrial dispute MIRIAM DALLI THE Medical Association of Malta (MAM) has decided to go ahead with an industrial dispute, after the council consulted and garnered the support of its members. The council is insisting on a num- ber of administrative changes at the health centres which would im- prove the quality of the service and provide adequate security for staff members. The increase in the number of doctors and a promised number of administrative changes were wel- comed. However, MAM members con- demned without reservation the interference from various individu- als in ministerial secretariats in the daily running of health centres ei- ther directly and indirectly. The interference focuses on insist- ing that patients without appoint- ments are seen – despite various agreements and protocols to the contrary – or that house calls, which are manifestly prohibited by estab- lished protocols, be performed. "This is unfair on patients with emergency problems and who have to face delays due to overcrowding. It creates chaos within the health centres, many times leading to problems with safety and security," MAM general secretary Martin Balzan said. While welcoming the progress in the negotiations, MAM members decided not to withdraw the in- dustrial dispute and authorized the MAM council to issue trade union directives as from June 20. "MAM members hope that this period will be used by health centre management and put the house in order, and lead by encouraging all members of staff to treat patients fairly and equitably without inter- ference." In a reaction, the Nationalist Party said that health services should not be politicised and condemned po- litical interference. In certain cases, the PN said, the interference also came from Castille. "This interference is not limited to the health centres but also at Ma- ter Dei Hospital, in particular the Emergency Department and out pa- tients," the PN said. It urged fruitful discussions be- tween MAM and the government in order to avoid industrial action.