Dusan Fitzel is hoping that the Euro 2008 spirit will inspire his national team players to a commendable performance against tournament co-hosts Austria in next week's friendly in Graz.
The Malta squad completes its commitments for the 2007/08 season on Friday when they face Austria in a warm-up just one week before the showcase competition starts in Berne where Switzerland, the other co-hosts, face the Czech Republic in Berne.
"The trip to Austria will be of great benefit for our players," Fitzel told the media at the Westin Dragonara Hotel yesterday.
"It will be very healthy for them to feel the excitement big tournaments like the Euro 2008 can generate. We will be facing one of organising countries who are finalising their preparations for the tournament. No doubt, Austria will be fielding their strongest squad as it will be their final outing before they start their matches in the competition.
"In June 2006, some of our players in the current squad had a similar experience when they played Japan in a friendly a few days before the start of the World Cup in Germany and lost 1-0. The Maltese were valid opponents on that occasion and I hope that against Austria the same will happen to end our season on a good note."
Malta's last meeting against Austria was in February last year when the two countries met in an international friendly, marking the Malta FA's centenary celebrations.
The match ended in a 1-1 draw with Gilbert Agius scoring Malta's goal.
Fitzel said that next week's friendly will be a good test to gauge how far Malta has improved since that match.
So far, there was no decision on the players who will be in the squad travelling to Austria. Fitzel will only start mulling on the list after today's FA Trophy final. He is expected to announce the final list on Tuesday.
MFA president Joe Mifsud, also present at the Westin, took a brief look at the 2007-08 season and the work carried out by his organisation. In the coming weeks, he said, the association will start to finalise its administrative reports for the season which will be officially presented to delegates and club officials during the MFA General Meeting in July.
"Next month, the MFA will embark on two big projects at the Ħamrun Ground and Pembroke in conjunction with the respective clubs and UEFA. The two venues will be upgraded and an artificial pitch will be laid," he said.
"The completion of these projects will provide our clubs with better training facilities and continue with the development of the game on our islands."
Mattocks banned four months
During Thursday's council meeting, it was revealed that Claude Mattocks had been handed a four-month ban after testing positive following a Premier League match against Hibernians on December 26 last year.
The Malta and Valletta midfielder was sanctioned after a dope test revealed small traces of a banned hormone.
The four-month ban came into effect last February when Mattocks was provisionally suspended while a B test was being examined.
During the council meeting, delegates were also informed that the MFA had retained its staff coaches for next season and that a new format was to be introduced for the Division One KO com-petition. Teams will be drawn in two groups before the semi-final stage.
Meanwhile, a decider for third place in the BOV Premier League standings for 2007/2008 will be played at the start of the new season.
The match, between Sliema Wanderers and Birkirkara, is required to determine the final placing for bonus purposes.