Valletta players shun first training session of 2010

Training for the national squad resumed yesterday after a six-week break but, with the exception of Roderick Briffa, the Valletta players were only conspicuous by their absence.

Malta coach John Buttigieg named no fewer than eight Valletta players in his revised 23-man pool last week but they failed to turn up for the first training session of 2010.

Sources have told The Times that Valletta players had specific instructions from their club not to report for training at Ta' Qali as the Citizens are still adamant on operating their own professional training scheme.

As Valletta were involved in a league match on Sunday - a 3-1 defeat to Sliema Wanderers - their players had a recovery session under the guidance of coach Ton Caanen yesterday evening.

The Dutchman is insisting that the normal practice in modern football is for players to have a recovery session the day after the match followed by a rest day.

In Briffa's case, he was given permission by his club to attend the morning practice session yesterday as the midfielder is employed full-time with the Malta FA.

Valletta's refusal to send their players for training with the national coaches is certain to re-ignite their row with the Malta FA over the professional scheme.

The much-debated MFA training regime, first introduced in the eighties to raise the standard of the national team, was the subject of a lengthy discussion in October between a delegation from the local association, headed by president Joe Mifsud, and representatives of Hibs, Valletta, Birkirkara and Sliema Wanderers, the four clubs that provide the bulk of the players for the national squad.

Buttigieg, his assistant Carmel Busuttil and the coaches of the four leading clubs were present for the meeting during which significant adjustments to the training scheme were agreed by all parties bar Valletta. The latter requested to have their players available for training with the club coach for most of the week in view of their plans to set up their own professional scheme.

In November, Valletta incurred the wrath of the MFA president after they ordered their players not to attend training with the national coaches on Wednesday morning.

At a news conference, Dr Mifsud warned Valletta that disciplinary action would be taken against them if they continued to breach MFA regulations on the release of players for training and international matches.