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Malta Independent
June 9 2013
`LET US ENJOY THIS RARE BEAUTIFUL MOMENT' - MFA PRESIDENT
There was absolute euphoria on the pitch and in the dressing room as
the Malta players celebrated their 1-0 win over Armenia in Yerevan on
Friday evening.
This victory has arrived after a long 20-year wait and it was only the
second competitive (World Cup) win away from home. The first one was
another 1-0 win against Estonia in Tallinn way back in 1993.
MFA president Norman Darmanin Demajo described the victory as one of
those rare beautiful moments for local football. `Let us all enjoy
this moment, but let us also not forget that it has taken us 20 years
to get here. And we still have a long way to continue registering more
good results such as this one.
`The win does not mean that we have reached our targets. Far from it.
That is not what football is all about. But I sincerely feel that
apart from the drubbing in Bulgaria (6-0), our team has produced some
good football in this difficult group. Our players have shown they are
capable of playing defensive and attacking football and are playing
with much more confidence than before.
`This, I feel, is the result of the hard work being put in by the
technical staff under coach Pietro Ghedin and Robert Gatt, who have
concentrated their work on the physical, mental and tactical side,'
said the MFA boss.
Darmanin Demajo went on to say that more work still has to be done.
`When we agreed to employ Ghedin, I made it clear to him that we
needed a team not just to win, but to win the respect of our opponents
on the field of play. I now firmly believe that we are doing exactly
that. The match against Bulgaria apart (there were several factors
that led to that 6-0 defeat), I think our players are showing more
determination and commitment these days, as was the case on Friday
night. But even in the matches against Italy and the Czech Republic,
our players showed they could also face the giants with confidence,'
he added.
Darmanin Demajo added: `I believe we are firmly on the right track. I
would be crazy to say that we now have to wait another 20 years for
another win. That is certainly not our intention. Ghedin and Robert
Gatt have established a group which is showing unity and are playing
with great serenity and that is what should lead us to maintain our
progress in future.'
I also asked the MFA boss, a former player himself, what will happen
when certain players call it a day. Are there any substitutes ready to
take their places, I asked? And he promptly replied: `Today's game is
not based on stars such as Ray Vella, Gianni Rivera, Bobby Charlton
and others. Today's game is mostly based on the technical preparation
and physical fitness of all the players in a squad. This means that
today's game does not require individual stars, but more or less it is
a collective effort.
`In this sense, Ghedin and Gatt have done an excellent job so far and
I am very happy with the team's performances. They have created a very
nice environment within the national team squad and this is now
spilling out onto the field of play. Let us enjoy this rare glorious
moment, but we must keep our feet on the ground,' commented Darmanin
Demajo.
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-06-09/football/let-us-enjoy-this-rare-beautiful-moment-mfa-president-1782054913/#inscore_ifheight_xdc_6307
June 9 2013
`LET US ENJOY THIS RARE BEAUTIFUL MOMENT' - MFA PRESIDENT
There was absolute euphoria on the pitch and in the dressing room as
the Malta players celebrated their 1-0 win over Armenia in Yerevan on
Friday evening.
This victory has arrived after a long 20-year wait and it was only the
second competitive (World Cup) win away from home. The first one was
another 1-0 win against Estonia in Tallinn way back in 1993.
MFA president Norman Darmanin Demajo described the victory as one of
those rare beautiful moments for local football. `Let us all enjoy
this moment, but let us also not forget that it has taken us 20 years
to get here. And we still have a long way to continue registering more
good results such as this one.
`The win does not mean that we have reached our targets. Far from it.
That is not what football is all about. But I sincerely feel that
apart from the drubbing in Bulgaria (6-0), our team has produced some
good football in this difficult group. Our players have shown they are
capable of playing defensive and attacking football and are playing
with much more confidence than before.
`This, I feel, is the result of the hard work being put in by the
technical staff under coach Pietro Ghedin and Robert Gatt, who have
concentrated their work on the physical, mental and tactical side,'
said the MFA boss.
Darmanin Demajo went on to say that more work still has to be done.
`When we agreed to employ Ghedin, I made it clear to him that we
needed a team not just to win, but to win the respect of our opponents
on the field of play. I now firmly believe that we are doing exactly
that. The match against Bulgaria apart (there were several factors
that led to that 6-0 defeat), I think our players are showing more
determination and commitment these days, as was the case on Friday
night. But even in the matches against Italy and the Czech Republic,
our players showed they could also face the giants with confidence,'
he added.
Darmanin Demajo added: `I believe we are firmly on the right track. I
would be crazy to say that we now have to wait another 20 years for
another win. That is certainly not our intention. Ghedin and Robert
Gatt have established a group which is showing unity and are playing
with great serenity and that is what should lead us to maintain our
progress in future.'
I also asked the MFA boss, a former player himself, what will happen
when certain players call it a day. Are there any substitutes ready to
take their places, I asked? And he promptly replied: `Today's game is
not based on stars such as Ray Vella, Gianni Rivera, Bobby Charlton
and others. Today's game is mostly based on the technical preparation
and physical fitness of all the players in a squad. This means that
today's game does not require individual stars, but more or less it is
a collective effort.
`In this sense, Ghedin and Gatt have done an excellent job so far and
I am very happy with the team's performances. They have created a very
nice environment within the national team squad and this is now
spilling out onto the field of play. Let us enjoy this rare glorious
moment, but we must keep our feet on the ground,' commented Darmanin
Demajo.
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-06-09/football/let-us-enjoy-this-rare-beautiful-moment-mfa-president-1782054913/#inscore_ifheight_xdc_6307