Malta Football Association
| UEFA | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 1900 |
| FIFA affiliation | 1959 |
| UEFA affiliation | 1960 |
| President | Norman Darmanin Demajo |
| Website | www.mfa.com.mt |
The Malta Football Association (MFA; Maltese: Assoċjazzjoni tal-Futbol ta' Malta) is the governing body of football in Malta.[1]
The Association organises the Maltese Football League and several other competitions, including a knockout competition for the top teams, called the FA Trophy. The Malta national football team as well as several other representative teams in the younger categories compete regularly in international competitions organised by UEFA and FIFA. These include the European Championships and the World Cup.
Malta also takes part in women's international competitions and competitions of Futsal
The MFA manages the National stadium and the Centenary Stadium nearby. This complex is based in Ta` Qali and includes training grounds, a gymnasium, a swimming pool and physiotherapy and medical clinics. The complex is also used by foreign clubs during the winter months, due to the mild temperatures of the Maltese Islands.
The association is one of the oldest, being founded in 1900 with the first national league being organised in season 1909-1910. There are several important landmarks in the history of Maltese football, especially since Malta played its first official international friendly match against Austria in February 1957. The result was a narrow 3-2 defeat for Malta.
It took until 1959 for the MFA to join FIFA, also joining UEFA the year after in 1960. From then onwards, Malta become an ever-present in international competitions at national teams as well as at club levels.
The MFA is structured by having 53 member clubs, as well as 10 member associations. The clubs compete in four divisions; the premier, first, second and third. The member associations are specialised football associations who organise competitions for clubs affiliated to them. The member associations include:
- the Gozo Football Association - organises competitions for teams on the island of Gozo
- Inter Amateur Soccer Competition
- Employees Sports Association
- Malta Hotels and Restaurants Sports Association
- Industries Soccer Association
- District Football Association
- Malta Youth Football Association - for players under 16
- Malta Amateur Football Association
- Malta Football Coaches Association
- Malta Football Referees Association
References
- ↑ "What can Malta learn from Iceland’s football success?". timesofmalta.com. 2013-10-27. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
External links
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