The Malta Football Association has announced some changes to its technical structure for the 2025/2026 season across all male national teams, introducing key appointments from senior level down to the U15s.
The programme will continue to be led by National Teams Head Coach Emilio De Leo, working alongside Assistant National Teams Head Coach Pietro Matafora, Director of Administration and Operations Roderick Vella, and Technical Coordinator Ivan Woods.
At senior level, the Malta ‘A’ National Team, headed by De Leo with the support of assistant coaches Matafora, Woods, and Mirko Valdifiori, welcomes two important additions.
Francesco Cotugno has been appointed as Goalkeeper Coach, bringing a wealth of experience from both Italy and abroad.
A former professional goalkeeper who played in Serie C and D, Cotugno also represented Italy at U21 level during his time at Benevento Calcio.
Following retirement, he transitioned into coaching, taking up goalkeeping roles at clubs such as Benevento, Ischia, and Nocerina before embarking on spells in China with Tianjin Quanjian and Guangzhou Evergrande.
Most recently, he served as Goalkeeping Coach at Benevento during the 2022/2023 season.
Cotugno, who holds a UEFA B Goalkeeping Licence certified by the Italian Football Federation, is highly regarded for his technical work and has collaborated with renowned coaches such as Fabio Cannavaro during his overseas stints.
Joining him in the senior setup is Fabio Esposito, who takes on the role of Fitness Coach alongside current coach Luca Pagani.
Esposito is an experienced athletic trainer with an extensive CV, having served as Head of Physical Preparation at clubs including Cagliari, Virtus Entella, Cremonese, SPAL, and Avellino.
He holds Professional FIGC Athletic Trainer certification and a UEFA B coaching qualification, ensuring Malta’s senior players benefit from elite-level conditioning methods.
The U21 National Team remains under the guidance of Davide Mazzotta, assisted by Stefano Grima and Paul Gatt. Supporting staff include Iván Rivera as Goalkeeper Coach, David Fenech as Fitness Coach, and Gabriele Tumino as Match Analyst.
A notable change comes at U19 level, where Salvatore Colantuono takes over as Head Coach, assisted by Jonathan Holland.
Colantuono arrives in Malta with an impressive résumé, holding a UEFA A Licence and a Pro Match Analyst certification.
He has enjoyed a highly successful coaching career in Italy, most recently guiding Parma Women to promotion to Serie A last season.
In total, during his tenure with Parma Women across the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 seasons, Colantuono managed 64 matches.
Known for favouring an attacking 4-3-3 system, Colantuono’s arrival adds both tactical depth and player development expertise to the Malta youth setup.
His U19 staff will include Alex Ramella as Goalkeeper Coach, Andrea Grech as Fitness Coach, and Roderick Bajada as Match Analyst.
The U18 side will be led by Stefano Grima, with Colantuono also serving as assistant coach. Rivera, Grech, and Tumino continue in their respective specialist roles.
At U17 level, Francesco Macri remains at the helm with Adrian Buttigieg as his assistant, supported by Jonathan Vella (Goalkeeper Coach), Emerson Farrugia (Fitness Coach), and Antonio Di Marino (Match Analyst).
The U16 National Team will now also be coached by Mazzotta, who will double up with his U21 duties to ensure a consistent philosophy from the start of the development pathway.
Macri will serve as his assistant and Match Analyst, with Ramella, Esposito, and Luigi Miccio forming the rest of the technical team.
At U15 level, Holland continues as head coach, assisted by Charles Sciberras, with Cotugno also contributing his expertise as Goalkeeper Coach. Grech and Di Marino complete the age group’s staff.
The Performance Department is strengthened by the arrival of Andrea Spagnolo as Strength and Conditioning Coach.
Spagnolo has over four years of experience in English football, having worked at Wolverhampton Wanderers, Blackpool, and Oldham Athletic.
He is particularly skilled in tailoring resistance and on-field training to meet the demands of high-performance football.
In the coming weeks, the MFA Technical Centre will relocate to the new National Football Centre at the Ta’ Qali Football Complex.