“However, the club rebutted that he had left due to medical reasons and that his privacy should be respected. There wasn’t anything concrete or substantiated in that article so we couldn’t rely on it.”

Besides the regular due diligence procedures, Vassallo said he took it one step further, personally asking his football counterparts in Italy and Romania, the two countries Mangia had worked prior to the Malta job, about the rumours. 

“After I received certainties that there was nothing concrete, we proposed Mangia as the coach. We took all possible precautions and conducted all the necessary research.”

Three Maltese footballers are believed to have submitted information to the MFA with allegations of sexual misconduct by Mangia.

There have been further allegations in the Romanian press, with one footballer claiming that Mangia sexually harassed and assaulted him.

Mangia, who has been suspended as Malta coach pending an internal investigation, has denied the allegations. 

Vassallo urged against speculation, stating the investigation should be allowed to proceed fairly. However, he said he feels comforted by the “transparency and proactivity” shown by the MFA, given that similar alleged incidents often emerge decades after the fact.