Interview with Mr. Ivan Mizzi

by Ayrton Galea - 13th April 2013

After we introduced the Club's secretary Mr. Jason Deguara last week, this week we decided to introduce yet another committee member and this week we chose the Club's treasurer, Mr. Ivan Mizzi.

From a die-hard fan and forming an essential part of the Birkirkara Ultras, Mr. Mizzi's life has totally changed after he was elected in the committee three years ago and taking the role of treasasurer.

With the Club's treasurer we talked about Sunday's match against Hibernians, his personal life, his role in the committee and last but not least, his true love for the club besides other interesting topics.

1. Who is Ivan Mizzi?

I'm 36 years old, and proud to be a Karkariz. My mother's side of the family, known as ‘Tal-Hacc' have been associated with Birkirkara and our Club for a long time.

2. What can you tell us about your career background?

In the past I have had various jobs ranging from accounting, marketing, HR, legal, shipping, and even retail. However, I am now a senior software developer with a local bank, and have been doing this for more than a decade.

3. How did you become a football follower?

I am not a football follower as such, in the sense that I do not follow international football. I only follow one club, and that is our beloved Birkirkara FC. I do not mind not watching the Champion's League final, but it's unthinkable for me to miss out on a Birkirkara match.

4. How do you spend your regular day?

Needless to say, I spend the first part of the day at my job. The rest of the time is spent between football related activities, and my social life.

5. What is your philosophy in life?

I like to think of myself as a realist, and try to see the whole picture. For me the glass is both half empty and half full. You cannot concentrate on just one. If you want the glass to be full, you have to realise it is half empty. Some people mistake that for being a pessimist, but in fact that is understanding the situation for what it is.

6. What are your main hobbies?

Technically, and maybe in the loose sense of the word, administering the Club would be my hobby, in the sense that it is done on a voluntary basis. Whatever free time that leaves, I tend to spend socialising.

7. This is your third year in the Birkirkara FC's committee. Can you tell us what motivated you to join the committee? What has changed in these three years? How difficult is it to juggle between work, personal life and the club's day-to-day needs?

To be honest, I was not thinking about contesting for the committee. At the time I was heavily involved with the Birkirkara Ultras, and used to be in the thick of the support. I had a meeting with the Club President of the time Karm Galea, to share some ideas for marketing and fund raising, and he told me, why don't you join us and implement these ideas instead of just recommending them? I had a good think about it, and the rest is history.

A lot has changed in these 3 years, including practically the whole committee and the President, most of the players, our way of doing things. I have seen changes for the better all around. When it comes to administration we have never been as up to scratch as we are now. I have to thank Jonathan Friggieri for his invaluable assistance, Club's Secretary Jason Deguara, and our hard working and hands on President Joseph Zammit. They are the people I work closest with and we are in touch every single day. We are a good team and we function well.

It is very, very difficult to juggle and find time for everything, but somehow, it all gets done and that's what matters.

8. What are your roles in this committee? How much work is involved? What motivates you most to keep working for our Club?

Good question, and a bit difficult to answer. I am officially the Club's Treasurer, and from this year I have also taken on the role of IT Manager of the Club. That involves all financial and IT aspects of the club, from day to day financial administration, overseeing the website and social media networking, coordinating with photographers, or sometimes acting as a photographer myself. I am also the liaison with the Women's Team, a role which I wish I had more time for. I am also involved with the marketing side of the club, and other numerous things. Whatever needs to be done, gets done.

Motivation comes from the love of the Club. I want this Club to grow stronger and stronger, and that keeps me going.

9. One can understand that everyday is a busy day for the committee to keep the club alive. However, can you tell us the month or periods that you are most busy?

From June till May. It is relentless, and there's something to do every day. Football administration has become a major challenge, no different than running a business. You tackle an issue, and another two crop up. Preparing for the financial audits twice a year, then the process of applying for the UEFA licence are maybe the highlights. But then there is budgeting, contracts, meeting with sponsors and a lot of other things.

10. Financial affairs are always a headache for Maltese clubs. How important are sponsors for our Club? Considering our limited resources, what attracts sponsors to our Club?

Sponsors are vital for our Club. However, I prefer to think of them as commercial partners. A sponsor is somebody who gives you money to help you achieve something and it ends there. In our case, we do our utmost to give something back. This usually means giving their brand as much exposure as possible, and urging our supporters to make use of their services. Recently, we have seen a huge improvement in our relationships with these commercial partners, something which was sadly rather neglected in the past, or not given its due attention.

11. A club with the stature of Birkirkara FC deserves the best. However, one could say that Birkirkara's facilities are far from best. Are there any future plans for better facilities?

There are lots of plans, ideas, initiatives and action going on when it comes to facilities. We are still doing everything possible to have our own full size training ground, but that is a long term plan. I do not like to talk about matters before they are concrete. However, facilities do not refer just to the training grounds. As we speak there is refurbishment going on at the Nursery's bar, and it should be open in the coming days. This should serve to give a breath of fresh air to the Nursery as well.

12. Besides facilities, what in your opinion should improve in Maltese football?

Most of the Clubs are run on a voluntary basis, and that takes its toll. We need to see full time administrators in the running of the Clubs. But there is a lot more that can and should be done to reflect today's realities. In my opinion the Premier League cannot sustain 12 teams. Due to the limited population of our country, there is just not enough talent to form 12 top teams.

Then there is the issue of being in the EU and we still cannot field more then 4 European players at a time. There is the issue of having player's salaries capped, which is silly in itself, and to make it worse, capped at levels set in the 80's. Also, there is the question of a player at the end of his contract cannot move freely to another Club. These are all outdated ways of thinking and have to change to reflect the realities of a EU country.

13. Corruption is always a delicate and sensitive topic to discuss. However, how much is it harming Maltese Football in your opinion?

Corruption, or even the perception of corruption, is killing this beautiful game, and not just locally. One cannot deny that corruption exists, because as we have seen recently, there are persons who have been found guilty of corruption. However, it is over inflated in my opinion. Every shock or surprise result, or every mistake in the match is interpreted as the act of corruption, when this is rarely the case. It is a human game and mistakes are made. Surprise results are what make the game beautiful. If the outcome of every match was predictable, there would be not much sense in playing the matches.

14. Besides your role in the committee, you are also responsible for the Birkirkara FC Official Website. How much work is involved and how difficult it is to keep everything up-to-date?

There is a lot of work, especially since it is totally made “in house”. We did not purchase or pay for the development, but it is created from scratch by us, and it is totally the work of volunteers. We have also integrated the Youth Nursery's website into the Club's official one. We now cover every single aspect of the Club, every team, and every section. The work is never ending but it's our pride and joy.

15. Taking part in European competitions for the last seventeen years was definitely not an easy task. How important is it to keep this record alive from year to year? Do you agree that money received from taking part in European competitions is the club's main income?

It is perhaps our proudest record, and it is vital to keep it going. No local club has achieved this streak. This in itself shows our consistency, because it means that we have placed in the top three positions of the league for these last 17 years. Prize money received from UEFA is in fact the single largest lump sum of money received in the year. However, contrary to popular perception, it is far from enough to keep the Club going. For starters, a good chunk of it is eaten away immediately by the travelling expense to take part in the same competition.

16. In order to participate in European competitions, there is a hard task to overcome in the form of acquiring a UEFA licence. Can you explain to the supporters what must be done before acquiring the UEFA license to participate in the European competitions?

From the financial aspect, one must have his house in order. All taxes and salaries have to be paid, and paid in time. No overdue payments of any kind are allowed. In case of loans, there needs to be a clear plan on how they are getting repaid. A full set of accounts needs to be presented. All this is audited and scrutinised. And that's just the financial part. Then there is the administrative part which is handled by the Club secretary. This year we found invaluable help in the form of Jonathan Friggieri.

17. How do you describe our Premier League campaign so far?

We stumbled and faltered at times. We were called overrated at one point. It seems that we have now peaked at the right time and we have become the team to beat.

18. In your opinion which was our best and worst matches so far?

The 2-0 win over Vallletta FC was our best match in this campaign. We were technically disciplined, and superior, and due to the sporting rivalry between our clubs, a win against them always makes it special. Our worst match was when we lost to Hamrun Spartans earlier on in the league.

19. What are your comments about the last match?

Luck favours the brave really sums it up. We were the team with the best attacking ideas, but we could not score. Then, thanks to a bizarre auto-goal, we luckily managed to pick the three precious points, which is all that matters.

20. We are just one day from what many are considering the match of the season. How excited are you? How much do you believe that we can jump even this hurdle?

Excitement does not begin to describe the feeling. It is a moment of tension, however we must at the same time remain calm and focused. It is a crucial match, against worthy opponents. Hibernians can be lethal thanks to their strong forward line. However, I believe that we can win. Our team is peaking at the right time, and when the players are focused, they are the best team at the moment.

21. Do you agree that if we manage to beat Hibernians we'll be just a step away from the Championship?

Well, it's never over till it's over, but mathematically and realistically, we would be much closer to claiming the title. No doubts about that. In the eventuality that we do win the next match, we still have to remain focused, because any over confidence can be fatal, and it has happened to many clubs including ours in the past.

22. What should be the secret for success?

Work, hard work, determination, loyalty and unity.

23. In the last few matches, supporters are turning in numbers for Birkirkara's matches and as players often claim, supporters are the 12th player. What is your message to the supporters?

There is nothing worse than looking at the stands, and seeing that there are empty seats. We need and want everybody there. If you have ever cried with joy or disappointment because of our Club, you are a true Karkariz and we need your support. It is your Club, and your Club needs you to give your support. You can make all the difference. Together we can achieve our aims. We are Birkirkara!

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