Maltese football has been suspended indefinitely by the Malta FA due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the local governing body of football announced yesterday.

Maltese football had been halted by the Malta FA until at least April 5 but now the governing body said that it was extending its suspension indefinitely.

“In emphasising the Association’s commitment to safeguarding the health and well-being of the players, clubs, fans, officials, staff and the entire football community, the Malta FA Bureau has suspended all domestic football and futsal competitions indefinitely in line with the directives of the local health authorities,” the Malta FA said in a statement.

“UEFA has called a videoconference with the general secretaries of the 55 Member Associations to share the latest updates on the progress made by the two working groups that were created two weeks ago and to discuss proposed options with regards to the collective commitment of potentially rescheduling the matches from domestic championships across Europe.”

The Malta FA said that a separate videoconference, for the members of the Social Dialogue Committee, will also take place on Wednesday.

This committee has already convened for a meeting last week, and the MFA said that discussions will continue between all parties to take decisions on football-related employment and regulatory matters in light of the negative financial impact and disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Malta FA is facilitating dialogue between local clubs and representatives of players and coaches, and has called on them to agree on an ad-hoc collective bargaining agreement based on different scenarios,” the MFA said.

“The Malta FA Bureau has expressed its gratitude to the Government for extending the financial aid measures announced last week to the sports sector.

“The Association appreciates the fact that, during these difficult and unprecedented times for everyone, the Government has taken heed of its appeals to increase the level of financial assistance for the sports sector which has also been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Beyond the competitive and sporting aspects, football makes a significant contribution to the country’s economy, with the annual social return on investment running into millions of euros, and also has a very positive impact on the Maltese community.”

 

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