Karl Stagno-Navarra Malta Football Association President Joe Mifsud has avoided involving himself in the fall-out between national coach John Buttigieg and Valletta defender Luke Dimech, who after seven months of being set aside from the national squad, has announced he was resigning from the team.
Luke Dimech wrote to the MFA President stressing his disappointment at the fact he was removed from the national team “for reasons that were not football related.”
The issue developed last June when the 33-year-old Dimech presented himself for training with a red-dyed mohawk.
He was asked to “fix” his hair, but subsequently returned with the same hair a week later, triggering coach Buttigieg’s ire towards the defender, who asked him to leave. Since then, Luke Dimech was never summoned with the national squad.
While Dimech, who has been capped 66 times, wrote to the MFA declaring he was calling it a day with the national squad, MFA President JoeMifsud had absolutely “no comment” to make.
Contacted by MaltaToday, the Mifsud steered clear from entering the controversy, by stating he had “nothing to say”.
Asked if he believed whether the issues between coach Buttigieg and Luke Dimech could have been easily resolved or avoided, Joe Mifsud replied that “everybody is free to do what he feels.” Mifsud insisted on not replying to any further questions.
In an extensive interview, Luke Dimech reveals the issues behind his decision and talks about his life as a footballer. “Don’t judge me for my looks, but for who I am,” he stresses during the interview, insisting that he had absolutely no issue with his coach.
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