Football salutes slain journalist with flags flying at half mast

Flags at stadiums where Maltese league matches are being played will fly at half mast this weekend as the football world salutes slain journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

The Malta Football Association felt it was appropriate to salute the journalist in this way, a spokesperson said. The association had already declared a minute's silence in remembrance of a former council member and a player who died this week but this gesture was extended to include Caruana Galizia.

The MFA's decision follows the gesture by national team footballer Andre Schembri on Thursday not to celebrate his goal in the Europa league.

Schembri became the first-ever Maltese player to score in the group stages of the Europa league with his Cypriot team Apollon Limassol in their 3-1 defeat at the hands of Italian side Atalanta.

In a Facebook post after the game, Schembri said it did not feel right to celebrate his goal in the wake of what happened in Malta.