National Football Centre inaugurated at Ta' Qali; Cannavaro, Vieri present

The National Football Centre in Ta’ Qali, a project largely financed through the National Social Development Fund and supported by a loan from the Malta Development Bank, was inaugurated on Monday evening. 

The centre will serve as the technical and logistical hub for all Malta national teams and will also host international youth tournaments. 

Built to UEFA best-practice standards, the centre features a Category 1 stadium, state-of-the-art sports science laboratories, a physiotherapy clinic, a gymnasium, recovery areas for players, meeting rooms, lecture spaces, and administrative offices.

Italian football legend Fabio Cannavaro.

The inauguration also marked the 125th anniversary of the establishment of the Malta Football Association. FIFA president Gianni Infantino, UEFA vice-president Jesper Møller Christensen and football legends Fabio Cannavaro and Christian Vieri were also present for the occasion. 

Cannavaro is an Italian professional football coach and former player, best known for his role as Italy's World Cup-winning captain in 2006. He is the only defender to win the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year in the same year. Vieri is a former Italian national team striker. 

The National Football Centre was inaugurated on Monday evening. Photo: DOI

In front of other distinguished guests, including Ministers Byron Camilleri, Miriam Dalli, Clifton Grima and Chris Bonett, Parliamentary Secretary Omar Farrugia, as well as, the MFA President Bjorn Vassallo, Prime Minister Robert Abela paid tribute to the hard work and dedication of the entire Malta Football Association team in growing both the passion for football and the facilities that support the game in Malta.

"I am delighted to note that the Malta Football Association leads by example through its investment in our communities," Abela said, highlighting projects such as ‘Football for Integration’, which involves children, youth, seniors, families, and persons of different abilities, and ‘Play Green ’, which promotes environmental sustainability in sport.

He described the National Football Centre as another vote of confidence in the vibrancy of Maltese football, made possible through co-funding by the National Development and Social Fund, complemented by a loan from the Malta Development Bank.

“This investment, worth millions, is equipping our national game with the facilities it needs to be fit for the future. It is about giving our national teams the best possible support while also opening up opportunities for more Maltese to get involved in the game."

The Prime Minister reflected on Malta’s journey in the football landscape, recalling milestones such as the inauguration of the National Stadium in the 1980s and the recent achievement of Ħamrun Spartans becoming the first Maltese football club to qualify for the league phase of a major European competition.

The cost of the centre was not mentioned in the press release.