The Malta FA this week launched its second official strategy, titled ‘Forward Together 2025-2028’, with the core aim of being sustainable across its operations.

The strategy, unveiled during the association’s General Assembly, was compiled following studies and discussions with experts at UEFA Grow, and aims to build on the work done in the previous four years.

Over the course of its first strategy, ‘We Can Perform Better’, the Malta FA implemented over 95 per cent of the goals and objectives that it had set out.

Through this new strategy, the Malta FA will focus on raising the quality and standards of football experiences and environments in Malta, prioritising quality over quantity. This is particularly important given Malta’s unique context and limited resources.

The strategic plan centres around five main pillars: ‘Developing On the Pitch’, ‘Developing Off the Pitch’, ‘Commercial Value – Towards Better Sustainability’, ‘Showcasing the Game’, as well as ‘Governance, Education and Social Impact’.

The ‘Developing On the Pitch’ pillar aims to improve the standards and quality of domestic football in Malta, making it more competitive domestically and internationally.

This focuses on grassroots football, the talent development pathway, national teams’ performances, women’s football, as well as the standard of refereeing, with the inclusion of innovative technology.

The ‘Developing Off the Pitch’ pillar seeks to ensure that safe and accessible football environments are in place through the right infrastructure and facilities, as well as the continuous development of the different member clubs, member associations, and the domestic competitions.

The third pillar, ‘Commercial Value – Towards Better Sustainability’, prioritises the effective allocation of financial resources to diversify income streams and reduce unnecessary expenses.

The association will hence target its financial management, business efficiencies, and merchandise.

The ‘Showcasing the Game’ pillar aims to enable everyone in Malta who has a passion for football to be connected to the Malta national teams and the affiliated members through effective communications and marketing.

The final pillar, ‘Governance, Education and Social Impact’, seeks to ensure that the Malta FA operates responsibly and establishes systems that inspire the culture of football in Malta to become supportive and compassionate.

Shared vision

Commenting on the new strategy, Malta FA president Bjorn Vassallo remarked that it is shaped by the successes generated of the Association’s first strategy.

“The strategy will serve as a shared vision for everyone who loves and enjoys the game. Whether a football player chasing the dream, a coach developing talent, a referee upholding the spirit of fair play, a supporter cheering from the stands, or a club official working behind the scenes… your role matters,” he stated.

“We are proud of how far we have come, but even more excited about what’s possible when we move forward together,” president Vassallo concluded.