Domestic football is being injected with an unprecedented €1.4 million financial aid package to help clubs address the difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The package was approved by the Malta Football Association Executive Committee earlier today and includes a set of measures to make sure that the domestic football landscape remains stable and healthy leading into next season.

“Apart from own resources, the Association is banking on the recently-unveiled FIFA Covid Relief Plan to allocate over €540,000 to clubs in direct financial grants,” the MFA said in a press release.

Moreover, Premier League clubs who competed in the 2019/20 season will be given €15,000 each for a total of €210,000.

Clubs in the remaining divisions as well as Women’s and Futsal clubs will also benefit from the financial package. 

The MFA also stated that the equivalent of 10% of this amount will be paid directly to club nurseries for youth development purposes.

The financial package will also cover other schemes including a development pot rewarding young players for playtime, a pitch maintenance scheme, an administrators’ scheme and subsidised subscription to match data and analysis software for clubs participating in the Premier and Challenge League.

It also includes a guaranteed gate income of just under €300,000 should football activity be allowed to resume normally with public attendance.

As with most industries in Malta, football was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic with an MFA survey indicating that Premier League clubs lost “an average of €114,200 over and above projected costs.”

This average reached €53,120 for Division One clubs, €43,600 for Division Two clubs and €33,700 for Division Three clubs.

The new unprecedented financial aid package will hopefully give Maltese football a much-needed boost just in time for the beginning of next season.

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