Visit by FIFA President in Malta on Friday started early with a football activity at the Valletta FC football premises.
New Valletta FC President Alexander Fenech joined Malta FA President Bjorn Vassallo as they both welcomed the FIFA delegation led by the Mr. Infantino himself with banners and other gifts exchanged.
Also in attendance Minister for Education Justyne Caruana and Parliamentary Secretary for Youth and Sport Clifton Grima.
This football activity also saw the participation of a group of children coming from the Footballers Read and Write Programme led by coaches Carmel Busuttil, Gilbert Agius and Saviour Darmanin, with FIFA President Infantino also spending time with the kids reading a book and explaining the equal importance of football activity/participation and enhancing their knowledge through reading.
What followed was a football match with FIFA President in action, also finding the net with a brilliant finish.
In action during this friendly encounter at the Salinos Ground was also Malta FA President Bjorn Vassallo, who was pivotal to this fourth visit to Malta by Mr. Infantino through the positive relationship going back many years between the pair, having worked closely and sublimely together few years ago when current Malta FA President occupied a highly regarded role at FIFA.
Other Malta FA top officials joined in this football match including Vice President’s Matthew Paris, Ludovico Micallef and Adrian Casha, the latter putting on his referee shirt after 11 years, controlling this match in a very friendly atmosphere.
Former and current National Team Players also took part, the likes of Andrei Agius, Roderick Briffa, Carmel Busuttil, Silvio Vella, Ivan Woods, Gilbert Agius, Michael Degiorgio, Noel Turner, Gareth Sciberras, Andrew Cohen, with Saviour Darmanin and Sean Sullivan in goal, also with the participation of female National Team stars Rachel Cuschieri and Dorianne Theuma.
Meanwhile, President Infantino’s visit will resume later with a courtesy visit at the Office of the Prime Minister where he will be welcomed by Prime Minister Robert Abela, he’s also scheduled to take a look at the recently refurbished and branded Bezzina Stadium in Corradino, a Press Conference will than follow, ahead of the key moment of this one day visit in Malta by Infantino, the eagerly awaited inauguration of the Malta Museum of Football, open for the general public as from August 1st.
President Infantino’s visit to Malta will end up late on Friday as he flies to Baku in Azerbajgan over the weekend and in time for Sunday’s Euro 2020 match between Switzerland and Turkey.
