Malta Football Players Association

The Malta Football Players Association, usually shortened to MFPA, is the organisation that speaks for footballers in Malta. It is not a club and it does not run a league. Its job is to look after the people who play in the leagues run by the Malta Football Association: their contracts, their pay, their health and their prospects once the final whistle has gone. The office is at the Central Business Centre on Tarxien Road in Gudja, a village in Malta.

For a UK reader the closest comparison is the Professional Footballers' Association in England. Anyone thinking about a playing or coaching career on the island, a parent whose teenager has been offered a place at a Maltese club, or a visiting fan who wants to understand how the game works behind the scenes will find this a useful organisation to know. The directory lists it among the sports clubs and associations of Malta.

Who the association is and where it comes from

The MFPA was formed in March 2011. It is the exclusive collective bargaining representative for current players affiliated with the Malta Football Association, which means it is the body that negotiates and speaks for players as a group rather than one contract at a time. Its stated purpose is to protect the rights of everyone who plays football in Malta and to promote their wider interests.

The association is locally affiliated with SportMalta, the national sports agency, is a member of the Malta Football Association and is registered with the Office of the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations. On the international side it is a full member of FIFPRO, the worldwide body for professional players, which brings together more than 65,000 footballers. That link matters in practice, because the association can draw on research and standards from other countries. A 2026 survey of women's football in Malta, carried out under FIFPRO's Raising Our Game initiative, is one example.

Malta is a small country and the football community is close knit, so the people who run the association are mostly former players. That shapes how it works: advice tends to come from someone who has signed a contract, been dropped, or captained a side, not from a distant office. If you are curious about the island itself before you book a trip or a trial, the about Malta guide gives the background.

Membership: who can join and what it costs

Joining the MFPA is free. A Premium membership is available for €30 per year and adds the partner discounts and extra services described below. Active professional players can join, as can former professional Maltese players and active amateur players aged sixteen or over who play, or used to play, for a team registered with the Malta Football Association. Recreational football does not count. Maltese national team players who are based abroad can also become members.

Becoming a member is done through the association's own website, and Premium payment can then be made online. Members who wish to leave can simply tell the association in writing. The direct benefits listed for members include substantial discounts from partner businesses, legal assistance during disputes and contract negotiations, guidance on complex sporting regulations, education and scholarship opportunities, and a place at the out-of-contract training camp. There is also a free club education programme and a route for non-members to file a claim.

The association also points to a less visible benefit: its continuing work to improve conditions for players as workers. That is the collective side of the job, covering matters such as standard contract terms, safe workplaces and access to remedies when something goes wrong.

Legal advice, contracts and pay

Legal support is the service most players reach for first. The association offers advice on contracts, disputes and day-to-day guidance, and the General Secretary represents players in contractual, mediation and disciplinary matters. Its President is a practising lawyer with experience in sports law, which is an unusual strength for a players' union.

The association's own answers to common questions give a flavour of the ground it covers. When a professional contract reaches its natural end the player is free to join another club without a transfer fee, because end-of-contract fees were abolished in Malta in 2020. A player whose club is paying late should first ask the club's administration for an explanation and, if the problem continues, contact the association's legal team about the options. Amateur players cannot profit from football and may only receive enough to cover expenses such as fuel and kit, and the association warns that paying more than that breaks Malta Football Association rules and can expose both player and club to disciplinary action.

Training compensation is also explained. It is owed to the academies that developed a player between the ages of 12 and 21, it falls due in Malta only when the player signs a first professional contract and is not yet 26, and it is paid by the club signing the player. A player who never turns professional does not trigger it. These are descriptions of how the system works, not legal advice, and anyone with a specific problem should speak to the association directly.

A recent case shows the work in practice. When the Malta Football Association suspended Mtarfa FC from National League 1 in October 2026, the association reaffirmed its support for the affected players, who were owed unpaid salaries, and said it would keep helping them with their contractual rights and registration matters.

Health, wellbeing and the medical screening programme

Player health is one of the association's stated priorities. In summer 2026 it ran its first pre-season medical screening programme, fully coordinated and funded by the association over several weeks between June and August. In total 367 players from 21 clubs took part: 16 clubs from the BOV Challenge League and five from the Assikura Women's League. The Malta Football Association helped by making the former National Teams Clinic at the National Stadium available.

The checks were designed to spot potential health issues and risk factors before the season began. The association built a dedicated digital platform for the project, so doctors did not have to complete paper forms and club administrators received medical reports and ECG results electronically. Alongside the tests, players attended 19 education sessions led by specialists on safeguarding, nutrition, dealing with the media, player rights and obligations, anti-doping and match-fixing, injury prevention and first aid. The Authority for Integrity in Maltese Sport provided the speakers for the anti-doping and match-fixing talks.

The association has said it will review the results with a view to consolidating and developing the programme in future years. It also runs an annual Player Health and Education Programme, and in July 2026 it welcomed players from several clubs to that event ahead of the 2026/27 season.

Education, language courses and the training camp

Few footballers play into their forties, so the association puts effort into what comes next. It supports players who want qualifications and has publicised, for example, a player who completed an Award in Fitness Instructing in September 2026. Members can also use educational opportunities and scholarships, and the association offers free education sessions for clubs and their staff.

Foreign players and coaches are catered for too. The association has again offered a 40-hour beginner English language course for professional players and coaches, delivered with BELS English School, to help participants communicate with more confidence in football and in everyday life in Malta. That will interest British and other overseas professionals who are weighing up a move, and our relocation guide for the UK covers the wider practicalities of living on the island. Players who are thinking about tax should also read our guide to Malta tax for UK nationals and take professional advice.

The annual training camp is aimed at players whose contracts have ended. It runs between June and July each season, and in 2026 more than 25 players took part in pre-season sessions at the Birżebbuġa Ground. Those are summer months, so the Malta weather guide is worth a glance if you are travelling to watch or take part.

Women's football and work with the national association

The association has taken a close interest in the women's game. In September 2026 it presented the findings of the women's football survey carried out under FIFPRO's Raising Our Game initiative and identified three priority areas for action: player health, training environments and employment stability.

In June 2026 it also signed a new three-year memorandum of understanding with the Malta Football Association covering the Malta Women's Senior National Team. The agreement targets improvements in player welfare, performance and safeguarding standards. Both the survey and the agreement show an organisation that works with the sport's governing body as well as holding it to account.

Visitors who want to see Maltese football at first hand can combine a match with a longer stay. Our guides to things to do in Malta and to the Valletta city guide are good places to start planning, and our page on flights to Malta from the UK helps with the journey.

The people behind the association

The association names its board and staff on its website. Anthony Galea is President; he played for Pietà Hotspurs and Luxol St Andrews, helped to found the association, and works as a lawyer with expertise in corporate law, financial services, international tax planning and sports law. Carlo Mamo is General Secretary and runs the association day to day. He played 350 top-division games over an 18-year career, won the league title with Birkirkara and Sliema Wanderers, and captained Marsaxlokk to their first title.

Konrad Sultana and Mark Barbara are Deputy Secretaries, and Sean Pace Briffa is Operations Officer. Gareth Sciberras, who captained Birkirkara when they became the first Maltese club to reach the third round of a European competition and who won 51 national team caps, sits on the board as an Executive Member alongside Eleanor Saliba. Josie Cassar is an Independent Member with a long career in IT and business development and a background in football administration, and Luke Zahra is the graphic designer.

Where to find the association and how to get in touch

The office is on Tarxien Road in Gudja. Visitors who want to base themselves nearby can compare the options in our guide on where to stay in Malta. The association does not publish opening hours.

Whether you are a player, a parent, a club official or a journalist, the simplest first step is to use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page. Tell us what you want to know, such as how to join, what support is available for a contract dispute or how to book a club education session, and we will pass your message to the association.