Malta coach suspended after misconduct allegations by player

Posted September 28, 2022 7:00 am

The Associated Press

VALLETTA, Malta (AP) - Malta coach Davis Mangia was suspended because of an allegation by a national team player of 'œinappropriate conversation," the Maltese soccer federation said Wednesday.

The 48-year-old Mangia was suspended on Tuesday for what the Malta Football Association said was an 'œalleged breach of its policies,'ť with assistant coach Davide Mazzotta replacing the Italian for a 2-1 win over Israel.

The MFA said its executive board held an 'œurgent meeting'ť on Wednesday so that its members could be 'œbriefed on the nature of the misconduct claims allegedly stemming from inappropriate conversation.'ť

'œBjorn 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,'ť the MFA said in a statement. 'œThe Malta FA President explained the course of action undertaken by the Association after speaking to the player who was immediately offered any support needed.'ť

The board ratified the decision to suspend Mangia and said the allegations will be investigated further. Mangia was appointed as Malta coach in December 2019, signing a four-year contract.

The MFA also stressed that it had looked into allegations of misconduct by Mangia before he was hired but said that at the time, the only claim was in an unfounded media report in Italy from 2016.

'œIt is of paramount importance that we explain the background checks undertaken by the Association prior to Mangia's appointment,'ť Vassallo said. 'œContrary 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.

'œThe 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.'ť

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Article Comments

Article Categories
Content Providers MLS Pro Sports Soccer Sports Sports Leagues Sports Types

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.