MFA decides whether to crown Hamrun champions on Friday

Updated at 3:30 pm with MFA statement  

Hamrun Spartans could be crowned Malta Premier League champions on Friday as football competitions face a premature end for the second year running as a result of COVID-19 restrictions.

With no change in COVID-19 restrictions on sports activities, the Malta Football Association executive will decide the fate of football competitions in a meeting on Friday.

MFA general secretary Angelo Chetcuti told MaltaToday that no decision had yet been taken on whether the leagues will be cancelled but should the authorities persist in their decision not to resume sports it would be a “natural consequence.”

When announcing a gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions on Wednesday, the government made no reference to sports.

A decision whether the football leagues will be stopped is expected in Friday's meeting of the MFA executive.

Last year, Floriana FC were crowned champions following a decision by the MFA’s council, but after statute changes, the decision can now be taken by the executive committee. The statute says that if more than 75% of league matches are played, decisions on winners and relegation will be taken on current standings.

Should the league be stopped, current league leaders Hamrun Spartans would be declared champions. This will be the eighth league title in the club’s history, their first since the 1990/91 football season.

Chetcuti said Malta, together with other countries, has a UEFA imposed deadline on 1 June to submit the names of clubs that will compete in European competitions. European competition draws will be held on 7 June.

On Monday, associations called for the resumption of elite competitions, insisting sport has consistently ranked last in terms of activities leading to clusters contributing to the transmission of the virus, with negligible impact.

MFA President Bjorn Vassallo said on Monday, that Malta is the only country where all sport, including that at elite level, has been stopped. “This is the professional level which represents the livelihood of many players and technical staff,” he said.

Vassallo also added that failing to resume training as of the 12 April would almost certainly mean that the BOV Premier League will not be completed within UEFA-imposed deadlines.

The MFA is expected to issue an official statement in the coming hours.

MFA expresses dismay at COVID-19 related measures  

In a statement on Wednesday afternoon, the MFA expressed its “dismay” at government’s insistence in retaining restrictions for elite sports.  

“Efforts have been thrown away with the decision to maintain in force the current prohibition on contact sport,” it said.  

The total disregard of sport as a profession by decision-makers, the MFA said, “is very discouraging and undermines all the initiatives” the association has undertaken to improve the level of the game and national teams. 

“Despite repeated representations to the authorities, no consideration has been given to the social and economic impact such decision inflicts on the livelihood of many players, technical staff, and administrators, not to mention the economic and social benefits to the country, including the health and wellbeing aspect,” it said.  

The decision will also have an adverse effect at technical level according to the MFA.