Arrigo spurs Sliema's success

Sliema Wanderers' impregnable grip on Maltese football has inevitably made them the team everyone wants to beat.

Rivals can only cast an envious look at Sliema's unflinching success that culminated in a third consecutive Premier League title this season.

Praise has been showered on their players and coaching staff but the unity and strength-in-depth that marks out the Wanderers is also due mostly to Robert Arrigo, their president.

Whatever your political beliefs and opinion you have formed about his prominent role in Sliema's title celebrations at the National Stadium on Sunday, you have to give him credit for the achievements of the club.

Taking over the presidency in 1996, Arrigo's hefty investment in the squad guided the team to the summit of the local game that year but success in the league was not easy to come by in the following years before the Wanderers claimed the first of their last three titles in season 2002-2003.

This year's triumph holds special significance for Arrigo as it means the realisation of a long-standing ambition to propel the Wanderers to the top of the list of clubs with most league wins in the history of the local game.

"Our league success this year completes a job we initiated back in 1996," Arrigo said in an interview with The Times yesterday.

"Becoming the most successful club in Maltese football in terms of number of league and FA trophies won, was our ultimate objective, one that has been achieved, by clinching a record 26th title," Arrigo said.

Last season, Sliema rounded their championship-winning campaign by capturing the FA Trophy to make it a double. This year, they are still on course to emulate that feat as they have reached the semi-finals of the knockout competition.

Fierce adversaries Birkirkara stand in the way between Sliema and a place in the final against the winner of the other semi-final between Marsaxlokk and Msida St Joseph.

The Wanderers' clan may still be basking in the glory of their latest conquest but Arrigo did not disguise his ambition for his team to retain the FA Trophy.

"As long as we are in contention to win the trophy, we will do our best to go all the way," the Sliema president said.

"Success in the trophy would be the icing on the cake, the perfect way to end another excellent year for Sliema Wanderers."

The FA Trophy represents Sliema's immediate future but what about their ambitions for next season and beyond...

EU regulations

Arrigo has been at the forefront of the campaign pressuring the Malta FA to endorse the European Union's laws on the freedom of movement of workers, in this case football players.

His belief is that for Sliema and for that matter, all Maltese clubs to prosper in European competition, the restrictions on foreign Maltese must be softened.

Most of the time, his has been a forlorn voice in spite of the fact that Sliema, being one of the most financially stable clubs on the islands, can afford to buy the best local talent as they have done for many years.

His criticism of the MFA stance on a wide range of issues as well as the leadership of president Dr Joe Mifsud has not made him many friends at the MFA.

On Sunday, it was hard not to contemplate whether the deteriorating rapport between the two men was to blame for the slight controversy surrounding the presentation of the Premier League trophy when Dr Mifsud insisted on giving the cup to Noel Turner, the Sliema captain, after Arrigo had presented himself to receive the prize.

The brief face-off between the two encapsulated their contrasting views on key football matters. Without going into the merit of who was right or wrong - the incident sparked mixed reactions among the public - it ought to have been avoided as it only served to further hamper the already strained relationship between two of the most influential figures in our football.

Mention of his fleeting showdown with Dr Mifsud in the VIP zone of the National Stadium did not provoke a furious reaction from Arrigo but his comments about the route he is ready to follow to fight for his principles are bound to shock all those who appreciate his commitment to Sliema and Maltese football.

"The future of Sliema will depend in many ways on the outcome of the MFA's annual general meeting," a thoughtful Arrigo replied when queried about his intentions to stay at the helm of the club.

"My wish is for the MFA annual general meeting to seriously discuss proposals aimed at ameliorating the bad state the local game is in.

"First and foremost, I am concerned about the future of our youth players. The regulations adopted by the MFA before the start of the season were said to safeguard Maltese youths but I beg to differ.

"In theory, clubs can sign young players from any country and after three seasons playing in this country, they will qualify as one of the homegrown players in the Premier League. If this scenario were to materialise, the development of our young players would suffer a fatal blow.

"This matter is very serious and deserves immediate attention.

"I also cannot fathom a situation where a person with a Maltese passport is not recognised as a local in domestic football competitions.

"Finally, I think that the MFA must loosen its rigid rules on the number of non-Maltese players our clubs can field in domestic competitions.

"All I'm asking from the association is that the regulations governing domestic competitions are revised to bring them in accordance with those approved by UEFA."

This was not the first time that Arrigo talked about these issues but his declaration that he could leave the Sliema presidency at the end of this season is likely to cause shockwaves.

"My wish... something inside me tells me that this is the right time to stop," Mr Arrigo said.

"I have achieved what I set out to do when I became president of Sliema and I know that the foundations of this club are solid.

"We have a very sound administrative structure in place here. I love this club and I am also passionate about Maltese football but the feeling inside me to quit is growing."

There is no disputing the legacy Arrigo will leave if he decides to end his association with Sliema but for a man with such a great passion for the locality, the club and everything that is blue, it's hard to imagine him walking away.

His statement took me by surprise and triggered in me the suspicion that the motives behind his plans to step aside are not unrelated to his dissatisfaction with the direction the MFA has taken on the issues he mentioned. I was not mistaken.

"You can also say that my future as Sliema president is reliant on how the MFA tackles the topics I have touched on," Mr Arrigo said.

"I want to make one thing clear... I have no personal animosity towards the MFA president and ideally, these matters should be discussed around a table. It is indeed regrettable that a person may be constrained to move away from football to pursue matters further due to the absence of a proper debate.

"My principles are sacrosanct. It will then be up to the court, whether locally or abroad, to decide who's right and who's wrong."

Strong words from a man whose resolve to reach his goals in every aspect of his life has made him the notable person he is. Sliema Wanderers are built in the mould of their leader - they relish a challenge and thrive on success.