The 2024 Annual General Meeting of the Malta Football Players Association (MFPA) took place on Saturday, 15th June.

Carlo Mamo, the MFPA General Secretary, provided an overview of the Association’s activities and projects during season 2023-24, leading to the approval of the Administrative Report.

The MFPA’s core events and initiatives were:

•⁠  ⁠Agreement with Assikura Insurances Brokers PCC Ltd who offer a tailor-made health insurance policy for football players;

•⁠  ⁠Launch of MFPA Strategy Paper for the period 2023-2026;

•⁠  ⁠Signing of improved MOU with the Malta FA pertaining to the sporting and technical conditions of women’s national team players. For the first time, the MOU includes a parental and pregnancy support policy;

•⁠  ⁠Collaboration with FIFPRO and Learning Works to offer a diploma in sports management thus increasing the learning opportunities for football players under the MFPA’s Life After Football Programme. The MFPA, through its network of academic partners, has increased the portfolio of courses, ranging from Level 1 to Level 7 (Masters Degree);

•⁠  ⁠Three Basic English Learning courses for foreign players, both males and females, and coaches;

•⁠  ⁠Membership Audit;

•⁠  ⁠Legal and administrative support to players on matters such as drafting of contracts, contractual disputes, tax issues and legal representation during disciplinary and appeals hearings;

•⁠  ⁠Free educational and information sessions on key topics such as mental health, anti-doping, administration of first-aid and use of AED plus pilot session on safeguarding and abuse;

•⁠  ⁠Consolidation of the MFPA social media drive to strengthen the level of engagement with members and the local football community through features such as the MFPA Best XI, MFPA Fans Player of the Week, Fortify Player of the Month (men and women), and the launch of the Life Beyond the Pitch series;

•⁠  ⁠2024 MFPA Awards which also celebrated 10 years of FIFPRO membership;

•⁠  ⁠Training camp for out-of-contract players.

POSITIVE YEAR

In his introduction, Dr Anthony Galea, the MFPA President, described season 2023-24 as another rewarding year during which the Association attained most of its objectives but insisted that there is always room for improvement.

“We’ve had another positive year from an administrative perspective and also in terms of the activities and events organised by the MFPA,” Dr Galea said. “Our financial situation has remained very stable while we have also managed to consolidate our status as a pro-active association firmly committed to our mission to safeguard the rights and interests of football players based in Malta."

“There has also been improvement in the regulatory framework but we need to push for more changes to regulations which, in our opinion, don’t fully respect the rights of football players, regardless of age or gender.”

Expressing his satisfaction at the signing of an enhanced MOU for women’s national team players, Dr Galea emphasised the importance of this agreement for women’s football in Malta which represents one of the pillars of the MFPA strategy paper.

The financial report for season 2023-24, presented by MFPA Financial Officer Daniel Agius, was unanimously approved by the AGM.

During the AGM, four active players, namely Rowen Muscat, Jurgen Pisani, Rodolfo Soares and Jan Tanti shared their experience and feedback after completing courses with the support of the MFPA who covered 15 per cent of the course fees. Further financial assistance was provided through the Get Qualified Scheme.

Pisani, Soares and Tanti obtained an Undergraduate Higher Diploma in Sports Management, organised by the Avanza Training Academy, and Muscat has successfully concluded a fitness instructor course.

-----

Il-Laqgħa Ġenerali Annwali tal-Malta Football Players Association (MFPA) għas-sena 2024 saret nhar is-Sibt, 15 ta’ Ġunju.

Carlo Mamo, is-Segretarju Ġenerali tal-MFPA, elenka l-attivitajiet u l-proġetti ewlenin tal-Assoċjazzjoni matul l-istaġun 2023-24, liema parti kienet konkluża bl-approvazzjoni tar-Rapport Amministrattiv.

L-attivitajiet u inizjattivi prinċipali tal-MFPA matul l-istaġun li għadda kienu:

• Ftehim ma’ Assikura Insurance Brokers PCC Ltd li joffru assigurazzjoni intiża speċifikament għall-plejers tal-futbol f’Malta;

• Tnedija tal-pjan strateġiku tal-MFPA għall-perjodu 2023-2026;

• Iffirmar ta’ MOU mal-Malta Football Association dwar il-kundizzjonijiet tekniċi u sportivi tal-plejers tat-tim nazzjonali tan-nisa. Għall-ewwel darba, dan il-ftehim jinkludi parental and pregnancy support policy;

• Kollaborazzjoni mal-FIFPRO u Learning Works biex jiġi offrut kors ta’ Diploma in Sports Management bħala parti mill-impenn tal-MFPA biex jiżdiedu l-opportunitajiet ta’ tagħlim għall-plejers attivi taħt il-kappa tal-programm Life After Football. L-MFPA, permezz tal-entitajiet akkademiċi li tikkollabora mill-qrib magħhom, kabbret il-firxa ta’ korsiijiet li jvarjaw minn Level 1 sa Level 7 (Masters).

• Tliet korsijiet ta’ tagħlim bażiku tal-lingwa Ingliża għall-plejers, irġiel u nisa, u anke coaches;

• Audit tal-membri fi ħdan l-MFPA;

• Appoġġ legali u amministrattiv offrut lill-plejers dwar materji bħat-tħejjija ta’ kuntratti, tilwim kuntrattwali, taxxa u rappreżentazzjoni legali quddiem bordijiet differenti;

• Sessjonijiet edukattivi u informattivi offruti mingħajr ħlas dwar suġġetti importanti bħas-saħħa mentali, anti-doping, first aid u l-użu tal-AED, u sessjoni pilota li tiffoka fuq safeguarding u l-prevenzjoni tal-abbuż;

• Konsolidazzjoni tal-preżenza fuq il-mezzi soċjali biex l-MFPA tilħaq iktar membri, plejers u l-komunità tal-futbol in ġenerali permezz ta’ features bħall-MFPA Best XI, MFPA plejer tal-ġimgħa magħżul mill-partitarji, l-unur tal-Fortify plejer tax-xahar (irġiel u nisa), u t-tnedija ta’ serje ta’ intervisti bl-isem ta’ Life Beyond The Pitch;

• 2024 MFPA Awards li fakkru wkoll 10 snin ta’ sħubija fi ħdan il-FIFPRO;

• Kamp ta’ taħriġ għall-plejers mingħajr kuntratt.

SENA POŻITTIVA

Fid-diskors ta’ introduzzjoni, Dr Anthony Galea, il-President tal-MFPA, iddeskriva l-istaġun 2023-24 bħala sena oħra pożittiva li matulha l-Assoċjazzjoni wettqet ħafna mill-objettivi li kellha iżda tenna li dejjem hemm lok għal titjib.

“Kellna sena oħra pożittiva mil-lat amministrattiv u anke bħala attivitajiet u avvenimenti organizzati mill-MFPA,” qal l-avukat Galea. “Is-sitwazzjoni finanzjarja baqgħet waħda stabbli filwaqt li komplejna nsaħħu il-pożizzjoni tagħna bħala Assoċjazzjoni pro-attiva ffukata fuq it-twettiq tal-missjoni li nissalvagwardjaw id-drittijiet u l-interessi tal-plejers ibbażati f’Malta.

“Rajna anke titjib fil-qafas regolatorju imma rridu nkomplu naħdmu għal aktar tibdil f’dawk ir-regolamenti fejn, fl-opinjoni tagħna, id-drittijiet tal-plejers, lil hinn mill-età u l-ġeneru, mhumiex imħarsa biżżejjed.”

Il-President tal-MFPA esprima s-sodisfazzjon tiegħu għall-iffirmar ta’ MOU għall-plejers tat-tim nazzjonali tan-nisa. Hu qal li dan hu ftehim importanti għall-futbol tan-nisa f’Malta li hu wieħed mill-pilastri tal-istrateġija tal-MFPA.

Ir-rapport finanzjarju għall-istaġun 2023-24 kien ippreżentat minn Daniel Agius, il-Financial Officer tal-MFPA, u approvat b’mod unanimu waqt il-Laqgħa Ġenerali Annwali tas-Sibt li għadda.

Erba’ plejers attivi – Rowen Muscat, Jurgen Pisani, Rodolfo Soares u Jan Tanti – qasmu l-esperjenzi tagħhom wara li kkonkludew b’suċċess korsijiet bl-appoġġ tal-MFPA li kopriet 15 fil-mija tal-ispejjeż relatati. Assistenza finanzjarja ngħatat ukoll permezz tal-iskema Get Qualified.

Pisani, Soares u Tanti kisbu Undergraduate Higher Diploma in Sports Management, organizzat mill-Avanza Training Academy, u Muscat għamel kors uffiċjali ta’ fitness instructor.