Exco approves €1.4m financial aid package for local football

The Malta FA Executive Committee has today endorsed a post COVID-19 response package to help football clubs address the unprecedented difficulties faced due to the pandemic.  The package includes a set of measures laid out in a recovery plan worth a total of €1.4million in financial and other forms of assistance, to ensure that the current challenges are overcome and that the domestic football landscape remains stable and compact whilst preparing for a new football 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.  Clubs which competed in the Premier League in 2019/20 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.  The equivalent of 10% of this amount will be paid directly to club nurseries for youth development purposes. The unprecedented financial package includes also the confirmation of a number of schemes which will be applicable for season 2020/21. This includes Guaranteed Gate Income of just under €300,000 should football activity be allowed to resume normally with public attendance.  The other schemes are:- Development pot (€277,000) rewarding playing time for young players;- Pitch maintenance scheme (€106,000);- Administrators’ Scheme (€153,500) to support clubs in the engagement of full-time or part-time administrators;-  and subsidised subscription to match data and analysis software for Premier and from next season also for clubs participating in the Challenge League (€31,000). Based on response received through a club survey commissioned by the Malta FA early on following the outbreak of COVID-19, it emerged that in total each Premier League club 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 agenda also included the presentation of competition regulations particularly those governing the newly-created National Amateur League, merging the former Second and Third Divisions, and the National Amateur Cup.