In the road to the playoffs, the team managed to beat Mellieha Futsal  (8 – 2) and obtain two crucial draws against Valletta Futsal ( 5 – 5) and Ta’ Xbiex Futsal (3 – 3) in order to achieve a third-place finish in the Premier League.

The other teams that have managed to reach this point alongside UM Futsal are: Valletta Futsal, Luxol ST.Andrews Futsal, and Ta’ Xbiex Futsal.

UM Futsal will be facing Valletta Futsal in the Semi-finals on Friday 22^nd April and Friday 29^th April with both matches starting at 20:45 hrs at the National Sport School, Pembroke. For further information click here.

The achievement obtained by our squad is short of phenomenal with many young players managing to achieve this accomplishment. Our initial target was always to sustainably achieve a top-three finish whilst developing our young squad. The team is now fully focused on our semi-final clash and relish the challenge we have in front of us to try and reach the finals. We also would like to call out all students to attend the matches and give our boys all the support needed in the upcoming games

Kurt Rizzo, President of UM Futsal Stated about this historic milestone.

You can follow and support UM Futsal through their socials here.

The Third Eye Encourages students to come down and support the University Team in their match and We wish all the UM Futsal Team contingent the best of luck in their upcoming match!

The post UM Futsal Reach Premier league Semi-Final playoffs. appeared first on The Third Eye.

What is Money Laundering (ML)?

It is “the crime of moving money that has been obtained illegally through banks and other businesses to make it seem as if the money has been obtained legally.” Usually, this is done through banks and other businesses.

In Malta, the maximum penalty for money laundering is a fine not exceeding €2,500,000.00 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding 18 years or both. With Malta’s recent emphasis on the fight against Money Laundering, we wonder: how have sport organisations been used in the past to commit this illegal act?

Money Laundering on the Field

A recent Europol report stated that organized crimes are using match-fixing to launder large amounts of money. Football is at the centre of this criminal ring. Football accounts f more than 50% of the global betting market which could be an appealing reason why it is being targeted by the organized criminals.

Watch this video for more on ‘match-fixing’ :

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) also published a report in July 2009 titled ‘Money Laundering through the Football Sector”. There are around 265 million registered football players in the world with the highest ranking in Germany followed by the United States and Brazil. The size and diversity of the sport are huge money-generating factors, which attracts criminal activity to achieve financial gain. In 2008 alone, the 5 biggest European leagues generated a total of 7.2 Billion Euros accumulating 52% of the total globally. According to the FATF, football is being infiltrated through these four ways:

1. Ownership of football clubs
2. The transfer market and ownership of players
3. Betting activities and image rights
4. Sponsorship and advertising arrangements.

Fictitious Example 1: Funding Semi-Professional Football Clubs

To better explain the process, let’s use fictitious accounts of a small football club. This fictitious amateur club always seemed to be in deficit. The owner of the club always chose to balance the books at the end of the season through very generous donations by a number of his companies. After further investigation, it was found that these companies had not properly registered their Financial Statements as required by the law. It was also realized that this fictitious owner had been misusing company funds by withdrawing large amounts of money without justification, which is an ML matter.

Fictitious Example 2: Political Corruption

A businessman acquires ownership of a locally based football club. He invites politically affiliated people to matches and gives them VIP treatment. This is done in order to take advantage of their decision-making powers which puts him in a beneficial position and boosts business growth.

Although these cases of money laundering are not given the spotlight to protect the image of innocence attached to football, it is rather important to raise awareness. After all, football belongs to everyone and we must safe-keep the values enrolled within the beautiful game.

Check out more articles from UoM Futsal here!

The post Money laundering in the football industry | UoM Futsal appeared first on The Third Eye.

Meet the team:

• President: Kurt Rizzo
• Vice-President for Futsal Affairs: Jeremy Vassallo
• Vice-President for Student Affairs: Kelly Xuereb
• Secretary-General: Joy Attard
• Finance Officer: Claire Spiteri
• Marketing Manager: Naomi Deguara
• Marketing Officer: Chiara Vassallo
• Public Relations Officer: Nicole Mallia
• Social Policy Officer: Hertian Salameh Cachia
• Internal Affairs Officer: Michaela Briscoe
• Esports Officer: Zack Camilleri
• Events Manager: Ilaria Formosa
• Events Officer: Karsten Agius
• International Officer: Karen Louise Stoner

The Third Eye got in touch with the current President, Kurt Rizzo, to get his thoughts on the new and previous term.

This is a very exciting year for the University of Malta Futsal Team as we are heading into a very difficult yet entertaining season. The Club has been working behind the scenes for the last couple of months and we are excited to be launching various projects and events in the coming weeks. The Club is spearheading itself into a new era both in terms of competitiveness and in terms of self-sustainable projects. I would also like to welcome new Executive members Michaela Briscoe, Naomi Deguara, Hertian Salameh Cachia, Claire Spiteri, and Chaira Vassallo as I am sure they are bringing a new dynamic to the team. The Club is also looking forward to welcome once again supporters to the games and to cheer our players during the season.

Kurt Rizzo, UM Futsal President

The Third Eye wishes the best of luck to the new team and looks forward to continue working with this ever-growing organisation!

The post Kurt Rizzo to lead UM Futsal for his 3rd consecutive year appeared first on The Third Eye.