Sport • 10 November 2002

Richard Buhagiar on the brink of calling it a day

Former Floriana, Sliema and Malta defender Richard Buhagiar is on the brink of quitting football. The Marsaxlokk star is annoyed at being made the scapegoat of the team in the match against Mosta. Buhagiar who has been loaned to Marsaxlokk for one year, is still a Floriana player and he told Malta Today that he might never play top football again.

"I have not attended training for practically a fortnight and have not received any phone calls from the club to see what has happened. It is not nice being branded a cheat as I always played my heart out for the side. "At the moment I have started my own business which is doing fine and I do not need the money and I have never earned illegal money out of football. I always played my heart out for every team I played for and although I am not a rich person it never crossed my mind to risk my reputation.

"To make matters worse, all talk was made behind my back and then in the following match against Valletta I was left on the bench, and that happened because there was someone who thought I did not give my best against Mosta. As I said, no one said this to my face but behind my back. Later I knew what had been said from a friend."

Richard Buhagiar, 30, said that the fact that no one had made contact with him even though he is not going to the club means that they are not interested in his services anymore. He said that if that is the case he wants to hear it from the horse's mouth.

Richard stated that he was happy with Marsaxlokk and that his main aim was to help them stay in the Premier League. But, he said there are a couple of individuals both on and off the field who are not doing the club any good.

"Now we'll see what happens. At the moment I still have to work things out and 99 per cent it seems that I will concentrate on my business and quit football. But you never know. There has already been a first division club who has spoke to me about the possibility of joining them.

According to the MFA regulations I can't join another club at the moment because I am on loan. What could happen is that Marsaxlokk will send me back to Floriana, and the Greens will then sell me to another club."

Richard Buhagiar is one of the most experienced and gifted soccer players in Malta. He is recognised for his great skills and is able to deliver the ball with accuracy to his teammates. He is also a very good tackler of the ball and enjoyed 11 great years, with both Floriana and also the national team and a year with Sliema Wanderers.

Asked why did he not stay with Sliema, were he had a good season last year, Richard said he was not in the plans of new coach Edward Aquilina even though the majority of the committee, officials and players wanted him to stay.

Buhagiar began his footballing days as a child in Australia, playing with a nursery side. He came to Malta at 12 years of age and at first started playing with the Marsa football school team. Immediately he joined First Division side Mosta where he used to play with the youths and as early as 17, he even started to play with the Mosta senior side. During this time, he was also called up for the Malta under-21 side under the management of Pippo Psaila and later found a place in the senior side under the German coach Horst Heese.

His best game ever was when he played for Floriana against Hibernians. He had scored a last minute goal which meant Floriana became champions. His favourite international game is the one played against Estonia away from home. He was voted the man of the match, a game which Malta won 1-0 thanks to a Kris Laferla goal.