Three Maltese Football Clubs Tell Robert Abela: Either Resume Season Or Cancel All Sports Until Virus Treatment Found
Three Maltese Premier League teams have urged Prime Minister Robert Abela to allow the football season to resume or cancel all sports until a treatment is found for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Valletta FC, Birkirkara FC and Gżira United FC noted in a joint letter that the Malta Football Association has drafted new medical protocols for training and competitive sports, which are currently being discussed by the authorities.
“We feel that, thanks to the way you and your government have led Malta throughout they pandemic in recent months, its effects in Malta are under control to the point where certain restrictions have started being lifted,” they wrote.
“Us three clubs employ over 100 people in total and generate €9 million, more than a third of the total expenses in the BOV Premier League.”
“We are therefore committed to see the season resume so that the results of our annual investment are determined solely by sporting merit and so that the league standings and participation in European competitions is determined based on sporting merit and not around a negotiating table.”
They noted that plans are underway to resume the football season in Germany, Italy, the UK and several other European countries.
In the Faroe Islands, a country with a population of just over 50,000, the season has already resumed.
“We urge you to weigh out all the future repercussions of your decisions. We cannot see how a decision can be taken to cancel this season and then start a new season in three months’ time.”
“Not much will change in those three months and if you give a negative response, we expect you to explain your reasoning in detail and for all sporting activities to be suspended until a treatment for COVID-19 is found.”
“We understand that you and your government will proceed with justice and we therefore believe that, once there are medical protocols for the league in place, there should be no problem in awarding merits through justice on the pitch.”
Should the Maltese Premier League be allowed to continue?
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