President George Vella has clarified that when he said Malta was far bigger than the gang who brought shame on the country, he was referring to Malta’s national football team.
The President made the comment as part of his Republic Day speech earlier today.
“A lot of people are asking me to name names. I was clearly referring to Malta’s football team, who performed very poorly this year. I thought it was obvious, to be honest,” Vella told journalists after his speech.
“While it’s not unusual for Malta to finish last in its World Cup or European Championship qualifying group, and some people might think I’m being harsh, the last campaign was characterised by awful tactics, terrible performances and an evident absence of desire and motivation,” he added, highlighting Malta’s defeat to the Faroe Islands as an example.
The President insisted that while the national team was shambolic, most Maltese people had never been in Malta’s squad and could not be blamed for the woeful results this year.
“It is these people on whom we must place the hopes of the nation. Put them in the team next year. They couldn’t possibly do a worse job,” he said.
