Hibs Ground not suitable says UEFA

Sliema Wanderers yesterday received a warm welcome from their fans at the airport after their return from Riga where a last-gasp Joe Brincat goal on Wednesday had eliminated Latvia's FC Skonto and earned them a passage to the next round of the Champions League.

However, their joy was marred by the news that UEFA had ruled out any possibility of the Blues staging the return leg against FC Copenhagen in the next round at the Hibs Ground, the venue where they beat FC Skonto 2-0 last week.

President Robert Arrigo said they had just been informed, through fax, that the Hibs Ground was unsuitable to hold Champions League matches and they will have to play their home leg against FC Copenhagen at the National Stadium.

Arrigo, who earlier said that Sliema would prefer to play at the Hibs Ground again, did not divulge any other details.

"This news was unexpected," he said at the airport. "Today, we received a copy of a fax sent by UEFA to the Malta FA which said Sliema cannot stage their match against FC Copenhagen at the Hibs Ground.

"There were no specific reasons in the message to explain why UEFA took this stance.

"We had other matters to contend with before our first leg in Denmark on Wednesday. Now, we'll have to add this stadium problem to our agenda. Our football is already faced with uncertainties... such matters will only add to worsen the situation. Results like the one we achieved in Latvia would be more frequent if we stay on a united front."

Contacted by The Times yesterday, a UEFA spokesman said the Competitions Department had informed the Malta FA about its decision on Thursday.

He gave no reason for the unexpected UEFA decision and did not comment when told that Greek delegate Manos Mavrokoupolis had inspected the stadium before the first leg and gave his go-ahead for the match to be played there.

He did drop a hint that stadium capacity could perhaps have been the main reason. However, this was not mentioned in the UEFA statement which only said that after reviewing the questionnaire of the match it was deemed that the Hibs Ground was not suitable to hold Champions League matches. UEFA advised the Malta champions to play at the National Stadium, the only venue qualified to hold such matches, the statement added.

Before the first leg was played Sliema and the Malta FA were engaged in a bitter dispute after the association had asked for certain guarantees to be paid for the use of the National Stadium.

Sliema reckoned Lm5,000 was too high and opted for the Corradino stadium which needed new seating facilities for the July 16 match.

Copenhagen flight

Arrigo said they have already reached an agreement with Air Malta for flight arrangements to Denmark next week. The Sliema contingent leaves on Monday on a direct flight to the Danish capital. On Wednesday, they play at the Parken Stadium against FC Copenhagen.

The Sliema president added that goalkeeper Murphy Akanji will undergo further tests this weekend but should be OK for next week. The Nigerian goalkeeper had to spend several hours in hospital for treatment on Wednesday after suffering a slight concussion.

Coach Edward Aquilina is wary of the team's task in the next round but draws encouragement from the 2001 match between Malta and Denmark.

"We know FC Copenhagen are a strong team," he said. "It will be very difficult, almost impossible, for us to repeat our first round success.

"However, Malta's result in the World Cup qualifier at the Parken Stadium two years ago, when the Danes had to work harder than expected before beating us 2-1, should lift our spirits ahead of a really tough test."

Joe Brincat, whose perfect execution from the free-kick deep into stoppage time gave Sliema the breakthrough they needed on Wednesday to move on the away goals rule, said that strike ranked among the most important in his long career.

"The match was not going our way, we were facing elimination," he said.

"However, despite being 3-0 down, we never lost heart and tried to score a goal even in added time. In the end, I guess, it was our great teamwork and spirit which saw us through."