Murfy1 Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 (edited) Thursday, September 19, 2013, 00:01 by Kevin Azzopardi Mifsud determined to prove his worth after sealing Heart move Michael Mifsud is determined to prove his worth in a new country and a new league after finalising his move to Australian club Melbourne Heart. The 32-year-old Malta captain put pen to paper on a one-year deal yesterday after agreeing terms with the A-League outfit last week. “I will do my best to help Melbourne Heart reach their objective of winning the league title,” Mifsud told Times of Malta. “As for my personal ambitions, I’m just looking forward to giving my 100 per cent in every match. “I want to establish myself in the team and make a name for myself in a new country.” Recognised as one of the best players in the history of Maltese football, Mifsud has enjoyed positive spells with a host of foreign clubs, namely Kaiser-slautern, Lillestrom, Coventry City and Barnsley. Apart from Sliema Wanderers, the club where he grew up at, Mifsud also turned out for Valletta and Qormi. His switch to Melbourne Heart has been widely perceived as a positive step for Mifsud who made no secret of his desire to sign for an overseas club after ending a two-year spell with Valletta last May. Not for the first time in his career, Mifsud has defied scepticism about his chances of securing a deal with an overseas club after a stint in the Maltese league. “I’m a reserved person,” Mifsud said. “I don’t like to speak about myself but I was 100 per cent convinced that I would get another chance to play abroad. “I’m very confident in my abilities. I received offers from a number of clubs. “I was unlucky not to sign for a club in Spain and one in France. “There was also interest from an Italian Serie B club as well as teams from Iraq and Kuwait. A Greek club also offered me a contract but I was not prepared to rush. “I preferred to wait until the right opportunity came along and Melbourne Heart’s proposal just felt right for me.” Mifsud also confirmed that he had talks with Sliema Wanderers. “I did consider the proposal made by Sliema Wanderers,” he said. “After speaking to the club officials, I was close to joining them but I opted to wait. “I still want to end my career with Sliema but I haven’t reached that stage yet. I feel that I can still flourish in a foreign league.” Mifsud is pleased with the welcome he has received at Melbourne Heart. “I’ve been warmly welcomed by the players, coaching staff and officials,” Mifsud said. “I’m delighted to have joined Melbourne Heart.” Mifsud’s move to a far country like Australia could raise concerns about his readiness to play for Malta in the near future but he has dismissed such fears. “It’s far from Malta and there’s a lot of travelling involved but I love the national team,” Mifsud said. “The national team is always in my heart and nothing will stop me from wearing the Malta shirt.” Mifsud confirmed as much at his unveiling yesterday, telling reporters that he will miss Melbourne Heart’s opening-day derby against Victory on October 12 as the day before he is expected to make his 100th appearance for the national team in the World Cup qualifier against the Czech Republic. “I have to go back home. It’s unfortunate for me that I’ll miss the first game, it’s going to be a good game and good crowd,” Mifsud was quoted as saying. “But it’s always an honour to play for the national team, especially with my 100th cap, I can’t miss that.” The light-footed striker made his 99th appearance for Malta in last week’s 2-1 defeat to Bulgaria. He is the country’s all-time leading scorer with 37 goals. Melbourne Heart coach John Aloisi is confident that Mifsud will add bite to his team’s attack. “He is an exciting footballer and will be a dynamic influence in our attack,” Aloisi said. “As the captain of Malta he has played against the very best teams in the world and held his own. “It’s not easy to lead the line against the likes of Italy and Croatia and test those defences, something which he has done regularly.” http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130919/football/Mifsud-determined-to-prove-his-worth-after-sealing-Heart-move.486781 Edited September 19, 2013 by Murfy1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n i k o Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 ".....Melbourne Heart reach their objective of winning the league title”. Music to my ears, finally setting the bar where it should have been from day 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theresonlyonebzamora Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 ".....Melbourne Heart reach their objective of winning the league title”. Music to my ears, finally setting the bar where it should have been from day 1 i think it has been mate, in fact i recall aloisi stating that at the start of last season and probably at the start of this season too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheepdog Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 So he says he still wants to finish his career at another club, how many years will we get out of him then? Hes 32, im calling 2 years maximum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammerhead Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 Not to be negative but if Heart win any major silverware this season I will shout 50 beers at the Imperial. I believe we're in a very good position to be challenging for the top. We've had arguably the best recruiting of any team in the a-league this off season, the talent is definitely there. JA is the big question mark though. Has he developed enough of a coach to be able to show us the potential of this team? We will see. 50 beers is kind of half arsed. Make it 100 beers. Not that I'll be too sad if I have to pay up. Seeing the joy on everyone's face of Heart having won silverware and getting free beer at the same time would be priceless. Would add 50 Beers to your shout if we won major silverware. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n i k o Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 ".....Melbourne Heart reach their objective of winning the league title”. Music to my ears, finally setting the bar where it should have been from day 1 i think it has been mate, in fact i recall aloisi stating that at the start of last season and probably at the start of this season too Yeah perhaps it has been, but one things to say it and another to actually build a team that's capable of it. This is the first season they have actually raised the standard of players and team it takes to win silverware in this league. Unfortunately prior to this offseason we never had that. First 2 years we tried to win off a lot of youngsters backs, last season was a diabolical mess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 I saw a fellow get off the train at Flinders Street Station today with his head shaved all around except for a Mohawk. It's taking off already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[LIBBA] Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 I saw a fellow get off the train at Flinders Street Station today with his head shaved all around except for a Mohawk. It's taking off already. Just making it clear now, it wasn't me 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embee Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 Hey Everyone! As you can probably all tell from my username, I have some Maltese blood flowing through my veins, and for anyone that has not seen Mifsud play, I can tell you that he is a very good striker. He held his own in the very physical English Championship whilst playing for Coventry and was voted the best international player in the league during his time at Lillestrom. He's still got that awesome pace which has made him so dangerous and has a real killer instinct around the goal. With players like Aziz and Harry delivering the ball to him he will likely be one of the top scorers in the league this season. Just a side note, I signed up earlier this year as a member for the first time, and will be in the Active Support, looking forward to meeting some fellow Heart fans! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[LIBBA] Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 Hey Everyone! As you can probably all tell from my username, I have some Maltese blood flowing through my veins, and for anyone that has not seen Mifsud play, I can tell you that he is a very good striker. He held his own in the very physical English Championship whilst playing for Coventry and was voted the best international player in the league during his time at Lillestrom. He's still got that awesome pace which has made him so dangerous and has a real killer instinct around the goal. With players like Aziz and Harry delivering the ball to him he will likely be one of the top scorers in the league this season. Just a side note, I signed up earlier this year as a member for the first time, and will be in the Active Support, looking forward to meeting some fellow Heart fans! I've got the red and white 'Maltese Cross' flag already being sent over from my family in Malta. Looming forward to seeing him wear a different feed and white jumper this season 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theresonlyonebzamora Posted September 19, 2013 Report Share Posted September 19, 2013 king malta are you libba in disguise? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embee Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 Hey Everyone! As you can probably all tell from my username, I have some Maltese blood flowing through my veins, and for anyone that has not seen Mifsud play, I can tell you that he is a very good striker. He held his own in the very physical English Championship whilst playing for Coventry and was voted the best international player in the league during his time at Lillestrom. He's still got that awesome pace which has made him so dangerous and has a real killer instinct around the goal. With players like Aziz and Harry delivering the ball to him he will likely be one of the top scorers in the league this season. Just a side note, I signed up earlier this year as a member for the first time, and will be in the Active Support, looking forward to meeting some fellow Heart fans! I've got the red and white 'Maltese Cross' flag already being sent over from my family in Malta. Looming forward to seeing him wear a different feed and white jumper this season I've got a large Maltese national flag hanging in my room, so it looks like I'll be bringing that to games this season Absolutely thrilled with his signing, I've been following his career closely for ages, hoping he'd one day consider coming down and playing for the Heart! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hedaik Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 Arent national flags banned from ALeague games? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[LIBBA] Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 Arent national flags banned from ALeague games? Not sure mate. Mine wont be a national flag so i might get away with a technicality Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heart of Melbourne Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 King Malta , hopefully you stay with Heart when midsud retires. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jestr Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 Arent national flags banned from ALeague games? Not sure mate. Mine wont be a national flag so i might get away with a technicality Do you think aami security know what Maltese flag looks like? Their mum has to tie up their shoe laces before work every day...... So I think you're safe. Not to mention, it's red and white anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embee Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 King Malta , hopefully you stay with Heart when midsud retires. Been a Heart fan since their inception so I'll definitely stay beyond that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embee Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 Oh, are they banned? Would it cause any strife if I bought it along, or would the worst outcome be that I'm asked to put it away? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[LIBBA] Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 Oh, are they banned? Would it cause any strife if I bought it along, or would the worst outcome be that I'm asked to put it away? Probably just asked to put it away. Wont cause a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jw1739 Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 (edited) Arent national flags banned from ALeague games? Yes, they are. See http://www.footballwest.com.au/fileadmin/user_upload/documents_and_forms/Member_Protection_Policy_21_December_2012.pdf, page 42, section B "Spectator Code of Behaviour", clause g. Seems ridiculous, because I can't see how the flag of Malta could possibly offend anyone. However, it might be prudent to cover or replace the George Cross on the flag of Malta with the Heart emblem. Although that in itself would be disrespectful of the people of Malta. Political correctness rears its ugly head again. Edited September 20, 2013 by jw1739 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedukeofhearts Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 The whole banned national flags is dumb. I can understand them not wanting clubs to become aligned and all that crap, but if you have a player of a certain nationality in your squad you should be able to wave their flag to support them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[LIBBA] Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 The whole banned national flags is dumb. I can understand them not wanting clubs to become aligned and all that crap, but if you have a player of a certain nationality in your squad you should be able to wave their flag to support them. Well it aint gonna stop me bringing my flag. They can go and royally fuck themselves Simple 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perthheart Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 It's a fairly lax rule tbf. We had Amsterdam flags in season one. I think if it's clearly related to a player or something in the team. then they have some leeway. Is more a tool to ensure you don't have ethnically aligned terraces starting up I'd say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[LIBBA] Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 Is more a tool to ensure you don't have ethnically aligned terraces starting up I'd say. Thats i undrstand. I coudlnt imagine anyone having a go or anything like that cause they see a few maltese flags around. My flags like King Malta's Display photo so i should be fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n i k o Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 (edited) Rule only applies to Balkan flags Edited September 20, 2013 by n i k o 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 king malta are you libba in disguise? Poor bloke had to log on twice to "like" your post. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theresonlyonebzamora Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 king malta are you libba in disguise? Poor bloke had to log on twice to "like" your post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[LIBBA] Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 king malta are you libba in disguise? Poor bloke had to log on twice to "like" your post. Not the only pastizzi eater in melbourne mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HEARTinator Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 The whole banned national flags is dumb. I can understand them not wanting clubs to become aligned and all that crap, but if you have a player of a certain nationality in your squad you should be able to wave their flag to support them. Good call. If we're going to embrace all nationalities why can't we celebrate this by having national flags flying at our home matches. Could be organised by HeartFC HQ. I'm pretty sure I've seen this on telly during Everton home games - even an Aussies flag when our Timmy was playing for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red or Dead Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 The whole banned national flags is dumb. I can understand them not wanting clubs to become aligned and all that crap, but if you have a player of a certain nationality in your squad you should be able to wave their flag to support them. South Melbourne, Preston and Melbourne Knights ruined it for everyone! LOL 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 They quite understandably made the rule. However in saying that you would get away with one or two flags. I think the clause is more a defence mechanism incase a whole group rock up with national flags. They have something to point to and to get them to stop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red or Dead Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 I wonder if the City of Melbourne flag would be allowed. <--- is anyone offended that I replaced the crown with the Heart logo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marteaux Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 I wonder if the City of Melbourne flag would be allowed. Are u serious? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red or Dead Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 I wonder if the City of Melbourne flag would be allowed. Are u serious? No. Are you Serious? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jw1739 Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 FWIW...King Malta's symbol is a Maltese Cross, which is actually the emblem of the Knights Hospitaller. Although it is associated with nation of Malta, it is in no way the national flag of the nation. A flag showing or incorporating the Maltese Cross is therefore not proscribed by the regulations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeartFc Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 A Maltese flag is offensive to us tall people. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perthheart Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 In for stuffat tal-fenek pre game in honor of Mifsud. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[LIBBA] Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 FWIW...King Malta's symbol is a Maltese Cross, which is actually the emblem of the Knights Hospitaller. Although it is associated with nation of Malta, it is in no way the national flag of the nation. A flag showing or incorporating the Maltese Cross is therefore not proscribed by the regulations. Exactly Im fucking the system Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embee Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 FWIW...King Malta's symbol is a Maltese Cross, which is actually the emblem of the Knights Hospitaller. Although it is associated with nation of Malta, it is in no way the national flag of the nation. A flag showing or incorporating the Maltese Cross is therefore not proscribed by the regulations. Spot on, the Flag I actually have though is the National one. Is it worth bringing it, would I get myself evicted? If it's going to cause trouble I won't do it, but if the repercussions are simply me being asked to put it away somewhere then I might give it a go. Not too worried either way to be honest, just wanted to show Michael a bit of support Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red or Dead Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 Like ACG would know that a half red/half white flag is the flag of Malta!?! Just tell them it's a Melbourne Heart flag, being red and white helps your case! You could get an Indonesian flag and argue the same thing! hehe 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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