Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/759501
21 Sport FOOTBALL maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 7 DECEMBER 2016 Malta Football Association supporting FIFA's investigation into Lithuania-Malta game THE Malta Football Association is fully co-operating with FIFA's on-going investigations into ab- normal betting on the 2018 FIFA World Cup Group F qualifying match between Lithuania and Malta, played on October 11 at the LFF Stadionas in Vilnius A delegation from FIFA will be in Malta this week to carry out further inquiries and gather more information as the world football body's probe moves to the next stage. The Malta Football Association wishes to stress its total support for this FIFA investigation and will continue assisting in the logistical aspect of this process which is expected to span several months. The Malta Football Associa- tion reiterates its zero-tolerance stance against any form of cor- ruption in sport as well as its total commitment to combating this scourge. At this stage, the Malta Foot- ball Association said they will make no further comment on the on-going FIFA probe. Nerijus Valskis (Top) of Lithuania heads the ball during the 2018 FIFA World Cup European Zone Qualifiers between Lithuania and Malta, which Lithu- ania won 2-0 in Vilnius, Lithuania, on October 11, 2016 Roy Hodgson: England players didn't understand me FORMER England manager Roy Hodgson has suggested some players didn't understand his instructions whilst he was in charge of the national team. The 69-year-old, who left his post in the summer after Eng- land 's embarrassing Euro 2016 exit at the hands of minnows Iceland, has revealed he was forced into making players re- peat instructions back to him to ensure they understood their job. England 's training sessions would often be filmed and coaches would hold meetings with players, but Hodgson ad- mitted that, despite these meas- ures, certain players could not grasp what he wanted from them. "One of the things I've learned in the last two years was over- estimating players' understand- ing of exactly what you want," Hodgson told UEFA coaching magazine The Technician. "You have to make certain that they themselves take ownership of the situation. "In the last couple of years with England, we filmed the training sessions, we filmed the games in wide angle, and we started having meetings in smaller groups. "The goalkeepers and the de- fenders. The midfield players and the attackers. Sometimes defenders and midfield play- ers. Sometimes midfield players and attackers. We went through things but we got them to tell us back what we had been telling them." Hodgson attempted to drill in- to players that they had to take responsibility for their actions on the training pitch and in a match, and that they would only learn from mistakes by looking back at them retrospectively. "We will work on it in training but then I want the player in the unit meeting, when he sees fit, to say: 'I should have gone out there, I should have gone quick- er there'. "Or 'I've gone too fast. I should have slowed down there. I've gone so quickly that the guy's gone past me before I can hold him up with the ball '. That type of thing. We got the players to take ownership." England head coach Roy Hodgson and coach Gary Neville Sammy Lee leaves role as England assistant manager ENGLAND assistant manager Sammy Lee has stepped down from his position. "I should like to place on re- cord my sincere thanks to the FA for the opportunity they gave me to work with the na- tional team. It has been a great honour," Lee said. "I should also like to thank the players and staff for their support during this period of my career and wish them all the very best for the future. In particular I wish Gareth and his new coaching team every suc- cess in the future." Southgate, who was keen to bring in his own backroom staff instead of the existing person- nel, thanked Lee for his contri- bution to the national team. "I have great respect for Sam- my," said Southgate. "He is somebody who I worked with as a player and his personality and professionalism were excel- lent throughout my period as interim manager. "I felt it was important for me to bring in my own support team and Sammy fully respect- ed that. "I was grateful with the way he helped to steady the ship throughout October and No- vember and we wish him well for the future." Sammy Lee