Club Statement

Club Statement

26 ta’ Frar 2024
Dikjarazzjoni tal-Victoria Hotspurs Football Club

Applikazzjoni tal-Victoria Hotspurs F.C. biex issir membru tal-Malta Football Association
F’Settembru 2023, Victoria Hotspurs F.C. ippreżentaw applikazzjoni lill-Malta Football Association (MFA) fejn talbet li l-Klabb isir membru ġdid tal-MFA u jibda jipparteċipa fil-MFA Amateur League mill-istaġun 2024-2025. L-applikazzjoni tressqet b’konformità stretta mar-regoli u r-regolamenti kollha tal-MFA.

Sfortunatament, għalkemm għaddew aktar minn ħames xhur mis-sottomissjoni tal-applikazzjoni ta’ Victoria Hotspurs, il-Bord Eżekuttiv tal-MFA għadu ma poġġiex din it-talba fuq l-aġenda tal-Assemblea Ġenerali għad-deċiżjoni finali tagħha. Fil-fatt, u bla ebda bażi, il-Bord Eżekuttiv tal-MFA talab lil Victoria Hotspurs F.C. li jirtira s-sħubija tiegħu fi ħdan il-Gozo Football Association (GFA) qabel din l-applikazzjoni tmur għall-vot tal-Assemblea.

Victoria Hotspurs F.C. diġà infurmat lill-MFA li ma jistghux jaċċettaw tali kundizzjoni tal-MFA peress li xejn fl-istatut tal-MFA ma jindika din id-direzzjoni u li l-GFA ma għandha l-ebda standing jew kompetenza fuq l-applikazzjoni tal-Klabb biex isir membru tal-MFA – anke jekk il-Klabb applikant jigi mill-gżira ta’ Għawdex stess. Il-pożizzjoni ta’ Victoria Hotspurs F.C kienet, u tibqa’, li huwa dritt fundamentali taghhom li l-Klabb jipparteċipa fil-kampjonat nazzjonali ta’ pajjiżhom stess u li japplikaw għas-sħubija fi ħdan l-MFA mingħajr l-involviment tal-GFA u mingħajr ebda kundizzjoni li mhumiex applikati għal Klabbs Maltin oħra. Kwalunkwe pożizzjoni mill-MFA għall-kuntrarju ta’ dan ser tigi interpretata mill-Victoria Hotspurs F.C. bħala aġir arbitrarju u diskriminatorju lejn il-Klabb. Victoria Hotspurs F.C. hija lesta li tissalvagwardja d-drittijiet fundamentali tagħha f’fora internazzjonali bħall-UEFA u l-Qorti tal-Arbitraġġ tal-Isport (CAS) u mhux ser toqgħod lura milli tirrikorri ghalihom jekk u meta jkun mehtieg. Għal dan il-għan, Victoria Hotspurs F.C. hija rappreżentata minn ditta legali internazzjonali ewlenija u speċjalizzata fil-liġi internazzjonali tal-isport.

Matul ix-xhur li għaddew il-Klabb żamm din il-kwistjoni mal-MFA strettament kunfidenzjali b’rispett lejn in-natura u s-sensittività tas-suġġett. Madankollu, wara informazzjoni skorretta ddikjarata waqt l-aħħar laqgħa tal-Kunsill tal-GFA, il-Klabb issa huwa tal-fehma li l-affarijiet għandhom jiġu għall-attenzjoni tal-pubbliku ġenerali – speċjalment meta wieħed iqis li l-GFA tista’ tieħu deċiżjoni potenzjalment arbitrarja u drastika kontra Victoria Hotspurs F.C. li hija minghajr ebda bazi u li jhalli lill-Klabb ebda għażla ohra ħlief li jfittex rimedju legali u finanzjarji kontra l-GFA.

Finalment, Victoria Hotspurs F.C. jerġghu jenfasizzaw d-dritt taghhom li jipparteċipaw fil-kampjonat nazzjonali ta’ pajjiżhom stess u li japplikaw biex isiru membru tal-MFA mill-istaġun tal-futbol li jmiss. Bir-rispett kollu, il-Klabb ikompli jappella lill-MFA sabiex l-applikazzjoni tagħha titpoġġa fuq l-aġenda tal-Assemblea Ġenerali mingħajr aktar dewmien u kundizzjonijiet li jwasslu għall-eskalazzjoni għal fora internazzjonali.
Victoria Hotspurs F.C. jibqa’ miftuħ għal kull djalogu mal-MFA u li s-sens komun jirbah bla minghajr ma jikkompromettu l-ittra u l-ispirtu tar-regolamenti tal-istess MFA.

26 February 2024
Victoria Hotspurs Football Club statement

Application by Victoria Hotspurs F.C. to become a member of the Malta Football Association Application by Victoria Hotspurs F.C. to become a member of the Malta Football Association.

In September 2023, Victoria Hotspurs F.C. presented an application to the MFA requesting that the Club becomes a new MFA member and begins participating in the MFA Amateur League as from the 2024-2025 season. The application was submitted in strict compliance with all the rules and regulations of the MFA.

Regrettably, although more than five months have passed since the submission of Victoria Hotspurs’ application, the MFA Executive Board has not yet put this request on the agenda of the General Assembly for its final decision. Actually, and without any basis, the MFA Executive Board has asked Victoria Hotspurs F.C. to withdraw its membership within the Gozo Football Association before this application can then go to a vote of the Assembly.

Victoria Hotspurs F.C. has already informed that it cannot accept such condition of the MFA, since nothing in the MFA statute points to that direction and that the GFA has no standing or competence on the Club’s application to become an MFA member – even if the applicant Club hails from the island of Gozo itself. Victoria Hotspurs F.C’s position was, and remains, that it is the Club’s fundamental right to participate in the national league of its own country without the involvement of the GFA and without any conditions that are not applied to other Maltese Clubs. Any position by the MFA on the contrary is interpreted by Victoria Hotspurs F.C. as arbitrary and discriminatory behavior towards the Club. Victoria Hotspurs F.C. is prepared to safeguard its fundamental rights at international fora such as UEFA and the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) and will not hesitate to resort to them if need be. For such purpose, Victoria Hotspurs F.C. is represented by a well-known and leading law firm specialised in international sports law.
Over the past months the Club kept this issue with the MFA strictly confidential out of respect towards the nature and sensitivity of the subject. However, incorrect information stated during the last GFA Council meeting, the Club is of the opinion that matters should come to the attention of the general public – especially considering that the GFA may take a potential arbitrary and drastic decision against Victoria Hotspurs F.C. which will be without any basis and which will leave the Club with no other option but to seek legal and financial repercussions against the GFA.

Finally, Victoria Hotspurs F.C. re-emphasize its right to participate in the national league of its own country and to apply to become a member of the MFA from next football season. With all due respect, the Club continues to appeal to the MFA so that its application is placed on the agenda of the General Assembly without further delays and conditions that will trigger an escalation to international fora.

Victoria Hotspurs F.C. remain open to any dialogue with MFA and that common sense prevails without compromising the letter and spirit of the same MFA’s regulations.