Trough the club’s Facebook page, Marcel Bonnici, CEO of Ħamrun Spartans F.C.,opened up about several controversial moments from the recent FA Trophy match between Ħamrun Spartans and Valletta F.C.
Bonnici explained that during the past six years the club has worked hard to build a professional structure and strong mentality, which has helped Ħamrun achieve success both locally and internationally. He said the club has always respected referees and the work of match officials, even when decisions did not go in their favour.
However, he stated that some situations during the match against Valletta raised serious concerns for the club and that they felt it was necessary to speak publicly about them.
One of the main incidents involved Joseph Mbong. During the match, Ħamrun had a goal disallowed after the referee reviewed the situation through the FSV system and decided that Mbong made a fould in the build up to the goal. According to Bonnici, the club believes the decision to cancel the goal was wrong.
Another situation mentioned involved Blessing Eleke. Bonnici said Ħamrun felt a penalty should have been awarded after a challenge on the striker inside the penalty area, where the Valletta defender held constantly the Ħamrun forward. The referee consulted the FSV system but eventually decided not to award the penalty.
Bonnici also referred to the incident involving Jonny Robert. He claimed that Robert was first aggressively provoked by Radic during the confrontation. However, Robert was the player who ended up receiving a three-match suspension following the incident.
Another moment mentioned was the serious incident involving Matías García. Bonnici thanked Radic for reacting quickly in helping the Ħamrun player, however he said that was a serious foul by Melillo, who he claims made contact with García using his elbow.
Bonnici also suggested that the club feels pressure from outside because if Ħamrun Spartans F.C. win the Closing Round of the league there would be no championship final. According to him, this situation may be leading to people working against the club in order to prevent that from happening.
Despite these concerns, Bonnici said the club remains focused on continuing its work and maintaining the standards it has built over the years. He encouraged the players, staff and supporters to stay united and continue supporting the team.
“Our aim is to keep working, stay strong and continue representing the club with determination,” Bonnici said.
