by Martina Borg surprised many when she announced her retirement from the national team last May at just the age of twenty-six while teasing that she will be giving something back. The Sporting Fan caught up with Borg to understand her decision and how she intends to change grassroots football. In Part 1 we discuss her national team career, the rationale to end it, and her portfolio in coaching.
Memories with the National Team
Martina Borg made her senior national team debut when she was just seventeen years old, at which point the team was still under the stewardship of Pierre Brincat. Asked about her first experience with the national team Borg said, “I made my debut away in Serbia when the previous era was still playing including the likes of Natasha Pace and Rebecca D’Agostino. Pierre Brincat was still coaching and substituted me into the match. It was an experience I will not forget as the team was losing 4-0, so to have that trust in me with about half an hour to go in an attempt to get something back was really meaningful.”
Her debut goal came shortly after, “It was at home in 2014, when we were playing the qualifiers. I had not started the match and we were losing 2-0 early on. Coach Mark Gatt substituted me in after just twenty minutes of the game because he wanted some creativity in attack. I scored the equalising goal to get us to 2-2. Though we ended up losing the match, there was a great atmosphere and I will not forget it.”
Martina Borg described the years between eighteen and twenty-one years of age as being the brightest in the national shirt, “It was a time when I really had my place in the team. I was still playing as a striker so I scored a number of goals and contributed to the attack.” At the time Borg had also moved to Italy where she spent several years plying her trade with various sides including Apulia Trani, Fortitudo Mozzecane, Sassari Torres and Roma Calcio Femminile.
Ending the National Team Playing Career
Asked about the decision to hang up her national team boots at a relatively young age, Borg gave some insight into her personality and how this shaped the stance, “I make decisions based on sensation, so when I feel it is time to move on for me to be motivated in my life and next prospects, then I have no problem making that decision, irrespective of my age.”
She elaborated, “In the last few years I felt that my progress with the national team had plateaued, a feeling which I started to have even before the present coach’s tenure. I also acknowledge that there is a lot of young talent so my vacating that place opens a possibility for a younger player to come through. I think it shows the belief in them, in the same way that others showed belief in me when I made my debut at just seventeen years of age. In doing so, it also relieves me from those playing duties and allows me to focus on something that excites me, coaching.”
Asked to sum up the experience with the national team she exclaimed, “It was a short but nice experience and I have many fond memories. Travelling with the team to play abroad was a unique time that I will not forget. I would say throughout my time playing with the national team, we always worked together as players, and it shows in the trajectory of the national team. We stuck together, fought for our rights, and showed that with our actions we can reach positive results and make a name for our nation.”
Despite hanging up the national shirt, she will still be playing with Hibernians and displayed her enthusiasm for the next season, “Once I returned from abroad last year, I had no doubt that I wanted to play with the team. It is a young side so I feel like I can contribute something to the team who I believe have a lot of hunger to learn. I am looking forward to building on last year’s results.”
Coaching Endeavours
Asked about her trajectory into coaching Borg said, “It was something I was always interested in, but of course, at a younger age I gave playing time more of a priority. As I have grown my focus has started to shift more towards coaching.”
In fact, Martina Borg started dabbling in coaching at a young age with Hibernians, where she undertook the U8 category. In Italy, she also coached the U12s and was the assistant coach of the U17 ‘Juniores’ side with Roma Calcio Femminile. Last year, she had her first head coaching role in a competitive age group with the U17s of Hibernians FC. She just completed the UEFA B License, whilst having an academic background in sports psychology.
She has now kickstarted a new set of experiences. As highlighted in a previous article, Martina Borg is the assistant coach to Vince Galea and together they will guide the U17 national squad. The team will be embarking on the UEFA Women’s U17 EURO Qualifications in autumn.
Besides this, Borg will act as the head of coaching with the private academy NXTERA Football. It will be where she will spend most of her time in the near future, with the aim of revolutionising grassroots football in Malta.
Stay tuned for Part 2 where The Sporting Fan probes Martina Borg on what her day-to-day will look like with NXTERA Football, why sports psychology is crucial in the game and how having this training would have helped her in her own career.
Photo: Malta FA
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[…] team last month, at just the age of twenty-six, teasing that she will be giving something back. Part 1 covered the rationale to end her national team playing career. In Part 2 we discuss her role with […]