MFA Won’t Say If It Knew Of Devis Mangia’s Previous Allegations Before Appointing Him Head Coach
Malta’s Football Association is refusing to say whether or not it knew of previous allegations of sexual misconduct levelled against Devis Mangia in former posts before appointing him as national team coach.
Maltese football has been rocked by the allegations which have seen three national footballers submit information to the MFA. However, the allegations are not new.
In 2021, Romanian media also reported that Mangia had made sexual advances on players. Meanwhile, Italian media had reported on “rumours” swirling around Mangia’s conduct all the way back in 2016.
The MFA has not responded to questions sent to them about whether it was aware of the allegations.
The MFA is holding an executive meeting later today and will release a statement afterwards about the way forward.
Mangia’s questionable past raises major questions, particularly given his access to entire lists, from the minors to adults, of football players in the country and those trying to break into the national set-up.
Mangia’s coaching past also reveals a lot about a man who was once considered a rising star in Italian coaching.
From 2007 to 2019, Mangia did not remain at any club for more than a year or two, oftentimes for just a few months.
In Italian football, coaches are replaced regularly, typically after a run of defeats and poor performances. However, in Mangia’s case, his teams would often be performing well, only for him to then be dismissed for personal reasons.
Mangia did have massive support in the country and among the team, with stand-in coach Davide Mazzotta claiming that the players dedicated a recent win to the embattled coach.
Was the right due diligence followed?
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