Courtesy: Malta Football


Serbian fans ruin Futsal First Division Championship Play-Off final

Incidents caused by a handful of Serbian fans ruined the final of the Futsal First Division Championship Play-Offs between Scandals Futsal and European Pilot Academy with the game eventually being abandoned by the two referees.

Scandals had a perfect start taking a three-goal lead. European Pilot Academy - a team made up of Malta-based Serbians - reduced the gap with two goals but by the end of the first half, Scandals went 4-2 ahead.

The second half opened with a goal by the Serbian side but Scandals scored twice to move 6-3 ahead.

With around seven minutes to go, European Pilot Academy scored a fourth goal. The few Serbian supporters ignited flares and in a matter of a few seconds, the ceiling of the Corradino Sports Pavilion was soon covered with a cloud of smoke leaving no option for referees Georgi Bitri and Norman Vella other than to interrupt the game.

The Serbian fans' intention seemed that of provoking the Maltese fans and on seeing that there was no reaction to their ignition of flares, three of them invaded the pitch.

The players tried to convince these fans to leave the pavilion but on their way out, these did their best to provoke the Maltese fans. Malta national futsal coach Michal Striz, who was watching the game, was among those who appealed to these Serbian fans to leave but was unlucky to end assaulted by one of the Serbian fans.

The culprits finally left but clouds of smoke were still suffocating the Corradino Pavilion and the two referees had to abandon the game with the score 6-4 in favour of Scandals.

Meanwhile in another match on Thursday, Pentagon Properties BFC were declared champions of the Futsal Second Division after beating Clarion FC in a Championship Decider.

Pentagon Properties, winners of Section A, took the lead and although Clarion levelled matters, the former took a two-goal lead by the end of the first half, 3-1.

In the second half, Clarion, winners of Section B, scored twice to level matters. Pentagon Properties regained the lead but Clarion scored again to force extra-time.

No goals were scored in the ten minutes of extra-time and therefore penalties had to decide the issue. Pentagon Properties scored four out of six penalties and Clarion scored three.

After the game, Pentagon Properties BFC were presented with the trophy by MFA vice-president Ludovigo Micallef.




Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com