Birkirkara FC must cough up €123,000 for Paul Zammit over contract breach

Former coach wins €123,000 in unpaid salaries and interest after winning MFA complaints board case against Birkirkara FC

Left: Paul Zammit, and John Arne Riise
Left: Paul Zammit, and John Arne Riise

Birkirkara FC have been ordered to pay former coach Paul Zammit the total of €123,000, the Malta Football Association’s complaints board decreed.

Birkirkara FC were found guilty of breaching their contract with Zammit, and were ordered to pay him unpaid salaries of €15,000 and €108,000 for the remainder of his contract, at 5% interest per annum until the amount is settled.

The club has been prohibited from registering and transferring football players until it settles the outstanding amount.

Zammit had filed his complaint after former Norway and Liverpool player John Arne Riise, today Birkirkara’s sporting director, took over the club’s reins while Zammit was still head coach. Zammit said that his contract was clear in that nobody but him could have control on the club, in any role.

TVM Sport said Zammit had told the MFA board that it was unacceptable to have Riise interfere in his decisions, to which the MFA found the club guilt of breach of contract. Zammit was released from his contract, which was due to expire in 2021.