The Executive Board of the Malta Football Association convened for an urgent meeting on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the case concerning Devis Mangia, the Head Coach of the National Teams, who has been temporarily relieved of his duties in light of allegations of misconduct made by a national team player.
Bjorn Vassallo, the President of the Malta FA, gave a step-by-step account of the
events that led the Association to temporarily suspend Mangia once the player
reported the matter to Malta FA officials.
The Malta FA President explained the course of action undertaken by the
Association after speaking to the player who was immediately offered any
support needed. The Executive Board members were briefed on the nature of the
misconduct claims allegedly stemming from inappropriate conversation.
Pre-employment and ongoing background checks
The background checks carried out by the Association before engaging the
services of Mangia as Head Coach of the National Teams were explained in
chronological order during the Executive Board meeting.
At the time, the only claim concerning Mangia was an unfounded media report
in Italy going back to 2016. The Malta FA ascertained that, at no time, there had
been any disciplinary, criminal or proceedings of any other nature against Mangia
at any level prior to his appointment as Head Coach of the National Teams in
December 2019. It was also confirmed that his coaching licence had always been
recognised and renewed accordingly.
As part of the Association’s ‘Know Your Client’ protocol, introduced in 2017,
the monitoring is ongoing and this applies to all coaching staff. In addition, the
Association files a court application with the Court of Voluntary Jurisdiction on
a yearly basis in accordance with Chapter 518 of the Laws of Malta (The
Protection of Minors (Registration) Act).
Malta FA Pesident Bjorn Vassallo said: “It is of paramount importance that we
explain the background checks undertaken by the Association prior to Mangia’s
appointment. This detailed account shows that, contrary to speculation, the Malta
FA was thorough in its efforts to assess the coach’s background based on official
information provided by entities rather than relying on speculation.
“The fundamental point is that we have an obligation to explain everything in an
open and transparent manner. We will also be doing everything in our power to
protect the identity and integrity of the players concerned.”
Procedures in place
The Executive Board ratified the decision to suspend Mangia temporarily while
initiating the internal procedures.
The matter has been referred to the Association’s Safeguarding Officer to
investigate the allegations made, gather information and compile a report about
the case. The inquiry will commence immediately and the report will be
submitted to the Safeguarding Board in accordance with a time table set by the
Executive Board. The Safeguarding Board, led by Chairman Andrew Azzopardi,
is responsible for taking decisions related to safeguarding investigations.
President Bjorn Vassallo informed the Executive Board that the Association will
be keeping UEFA updated on the steps being taken.
The Executive Board resolved that it will leave no stone unturned in its pursuit
of facts and reiterated its full trust in the Association’s structures and processes.
To this effect, the Association is always open to any form of whistleblowing and
all reports of this nature are treated very seriously.
