Malta FA introduces Futsal Under-16 League

As part of its commitment to improve youth development and the level of futsal in our country, the Malta Football Association is introducing the Under-16 Futsal League. Kicking off on Monday, the inaugural edition of the U-16 Futsal League sees the participation of nine teams - Balzan FC, Floriana FC, Pieta’ Hotspurs FC, Sliema Wanderers FC, San Ġwann FC, Naxxar Lions FC, Swieqi United FC, Mellieħa SC and Mtarfa FC. The competition format has been established with each team playing eight games in phase one before being split into two groups of five in the Championship category and four teams in the challenge group. Phase three will be contested on a knock-out basis. Mark Marlow, Head of the Futsal and Beach Soccer Department at the Malta FA, said: “In line with our futsal strategy, we are working to create an Under-19 futsal national team and therefore we need to provide more opportunities for our players at youth nurseries. “Our objective is to offer an enriching experience in the right environment, encouraging more youngsters to play futsal and take the game to a higher level.” Balzan face San Ġwann and Floriana meet Pieta’ Hotspurs in the opening matches on Monday. Futsal coaches will be monitoring the progress of the players representing the nine participating teams in this newly-launched championship. Matches from this U16 Futsal League, behind closed doors, will be shown live on the MFA Futsal & Beach Soccer Facebook page.