Malta Sport has verified with sources close to the police investigation that one player was contacted by two foreign individuals in an alleged attempt to manipulate the Malta Premier League match between Mosta FC and Naxxar Lions played on 4 February. The fixture, which ended in a 5-0 win for Naxxar Lions, is now at the centre of an active police probe.
The development once again raises concerns about foreign influence in Maltese football, something the local game has faced before. One of the clearest examples came in the Marsaxlokk versus Slaven Belupo case, when former Albanian coach Ilir Pelinku and former FIFA referee Joe Attard were found guilty of attempting to bribe goalkeeper Saviour Darmanin before the 2008 UEFA Cup preliminary round match. Both later received suspended jail terms and were fined €500 each, while the MFA had already imposed life bans on them.
Another case that underlined the danger of outside interference was the Malta Under-21 match-fixing scandal, which led UEFA to ban six Malta Under-21 internationals in 2018, including two life bans, following disciplinary proceedings linked to the 2016 qualifiers against Montenegro and the Czech Republic.
There was also the Malta versus Norway Euro 2008 qualifier in Oslo, a match later linked to Croatian betting syndicate figure Mario Cvrtak. Reports at the time said Cvrtak testified in a German court that the game had been rigged and that a total of €200,000 had been placed on the match.
Against that background, the Mosta-Naxxar case is being viewed with added seriousness. If the suspicions are confirmed, it would mark yet another instance in which foreign intervention sought to infiltrate Maltese football.
Malta Sport has also recently interviewed AiMS Director of Integrity Dr Sandro Camilleri, who stressed the importance of reporting any alleged cases of match fixing immediately. His warning is now especially relevant as this latest investigation continues.
