by The next chapter of the Malta Football Association will begin this Friday 15th March as members choose the next President and his three Vice Presidents. Here is a look at key factors, the candidates and perhaps some overlooked details as the decisive day approaches.
A Chance To Confirm Course Or Change Direction
Like any election, the process will provide member clubs and associations a chance to take stock of the expiring tenure. In doing so, they will decide whether to continue in the same direction or change the leadership and thus course.
If there is anything that is true about sport, is that it can bring people who are passionate and competitive together, or brew a rivalry that drives them very far apart. Among the topics which have dominated the debates are governance and transparency, commercialisation, infrastructures, youth development, the men’s premier league and the national teams.
While there is plenty that all involved disagree on, there are two aspects that everyone seems to have reached consensus on. The first is that communication between the Association and all stakeholders must improve in the coming years, whether that be in communicating the reasons behind decisions or to have better continuous feedback between the two. The second is that there is a sense of needing to find a solution to the impending death in local football, due to its the growing costs, limited return and most importantly tackling the growing apathy and disenchantment.
Underlying all of this is the fact that the sport is a product of its people. The Covid-19 pandemic was mentioned plenty, but perhaps the most crucial aspect to come out of that time was that it brought into sharp focus the fact that without supporters filling stadiums, sport dies out. More extensively, without people actively participating in clubs, in the associations and in supporting groups, sport does not exist. A lot has been said about the money, the technicalities and the results. However, all of these rely on getting the right people involved.
As with any election, the past few months will have inundated those involved with messages and conversations intended to sway their decisions. However, one of the most important exercises in democratic elections remains to take a moment, take stock of the past years and truly assess what pushed things forward and what kept them back. It will always be put on a scale, nothing is ever black or white. The question is then about deciding the next steps to be addressed and by extension who are the best individuals to steer the Association toward those goals.
The first key decision lies in deciding the leader. There are two candidates running for the Presidential post: current President Bjorn Vassallo, and Robert Micallef. Bjorn Vassallo has been clear that his strategy was based on an eight year tenure and is thus contesting to build on the foundations set over the past four years and see out the strategy initiated with a special focus on commercialisation, among other aspects. On the opposite side is Robert Micallef, the President of Santa Lucia, who is contesting for the first time, having set up a campaign focused on governance, transparency, integrity and bringing members together.
She Will Be Vice President Of The MFA
The elected President will be supported by three Vice Presidents. One of the vacancies must be filled by a woman, while the remaining two can be filled by any gender. Much has been touted about the fact that a woman will be holding one of the highest positions within the Malta Football Association. The mandatory system requiring a woman to fill a post will only be in place for this election, which perhaps reflects the hope that once the door is opened, that extra push will no longer be necessary.
One can only hope that the woman elected will do so well, that the next election will encourage female candidates for the post of President as well. To be absolutely clear, that should not be for the sake of having a female President, nor because it’s mandatory, but because the members believe she will have the best skillset to push the Association forward.
However, before one gets carried away, what is crucial to remember and what at times has appeared to get lost in the hype of this decision, is that the responsibilities and duties remain the same. All three elected Vice Presidents will have a duty to safeguard and push forward all factions of the sports that fall under the umbrella of the MFA.
Due to the lack of a precedent of a woman holding office, it is easy to fall into the trap of segregating the gender of the Vice President to the gender of the sport. However, that would be a dangerous pitfall. In simple terms, all the male Presidents and all the male Vice Presidents before this election have had a duty to work toward growing men’s sporting categories just as much as the women’s sporting categories. The same duties befall the woman or women who will be elected.
Much like choosing the President, it is the duty of the member associations and clubs to choose the three Vice Presidents who they believe will be able to take on the challenges that the office brings.
The first round of votes will be an election between the three female candidates: Dr Maria Azzopardi, Christabelle Chetcuti and Dana Farrugia. Following that decision, another round of votes will be made for the remaining two posts. The unelected women will go into contention together with the five men contesting the posts.
Current incumbents Dr Matthew Paris and Adrian Casha are seeking re-election into the Vice Presidency positions. Contesting the race is also Gozo Football Association President Dr Samuel Azzopardi, Lija Athletic President and former MFA Vice President Dr Peter Fenech, as well as Marsaskala President Pierre Miceli.
Much has been discussed and the final preparations will be under way. The next chapter of the Malta Football Association will start to be written this Friday 15th March at the Grand Hotel Excelsior in Floriana.
Lead Image: Lara Schembri
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