Malta – construction of national football centre gets green light

The state-of-the art complex, which also encompasses a Category 1 stadium, represents one of the main infrastructural projects of the Malta FA strategy launched last year and is due to be completed in time to host matches in the men’s European Under-19 Championship final tournament in 2023. It will also serve as the home of the Maltese national football teams, from the youths to the seniors, as well as the Inħobb il-Futbol Foundation, the development arm of the association, which is overseeing a series of projects focusing on football in schools, the pathway from grassroots to elite, girls’ football and social responsibility.

The national football centre will house various facilities, including sports science research laboratories, medical facilities, a physiotherapy clinic, gymnasium, dressing rooms, catering facilities, multifunction meeting and lecture rooms, relaxation areas and technical offices in sync with UEFA’s Best Practice Guide to Training Centre Construction and Management. Designed by Maltese firm Innovative Architectural Structures, the centre will be built in accordance with the best environmental protection and sustainability standards.

Digital magazine

In other news from the Malta FA, the technical centre launched a new digital magazine, Raise The Game, in January. All Malta FA-licensed coaches received a free copy of Raise The Game, which is primarily intended to bring the technical centre closer to the ever-growing coaching community.

This initiative also complements the ongoing work of the Centre for Football Research and Development, which was established last year to encourage and inspire students and researchers to conduct football-related research with the Malta FA, thereby contributing towards the growth of Maltese football and the development of coaches.

This article originally appeared in UEFA Direct 197