Big goals for a small nation – Karl Izzo on Waterpolo, league structure & national team growth

In this episode of the Waterpolo Expert Talk, Karl Izzo, President
of the Aquatic Sports Association of Malta, gives an in-depth look
at the current structure, challenges and future vision of water
polo and aquatic sports in Malta. Izzo shares his personal journey
from being a former Maltese national team player and head coach to
becoming the president of the federation. During his 10-year tenure
as national coach, Malta qualified four times for the European
Championships, an исторический milestone for the country. Today, as
federation president, he is responsible for four disciplines: water
polo, swimming, artistic swimming and open water swimming. A major
focus of the conversation is the unique Maltese league system,
which is divided into: - Winter competitions without foreign
players - A high-profile summer league with international stars -
During the summer season, thousands of spectators attend matches,
and world-class players from Europe compete in Malta. This gives
local athletes the opportunity to train and play alongside the very
best and significantly boosts the level of the national team. Key
topics of this episode include: - Structure of the Maltese summer
league & foreign player system - Development of young players
through multiple seasonal competitions - National team rebuilding
with a very young squad - Sending players abroad to Italy,
Montenegro & the Balkans - Transition from head coach to
federation president - New safeguarding and education committees -
Coach education programs for swimming, water polo & artistic
swimming - Statute reforms, disciplinary rules & transfer
systems - Building volunteer structures in a small sports nation -
Sponsorship, funding & hosting international tournaments Izzo
also explains why Malta recently invested in its first indoor
Olympic-size pool, how school sports and youth academies are being
strengthened, and why long-term structures matter more than
short-term results. This episode offers a rare insight into how a
small nation builds sustainable water polo and aquatic sport
structures from the grassroots to the national team. More about the
podcast: https://www.schulzekopp.de ️ Subscribe to the Waterpolo
Expert Talk for more international perspectives on water polo,
federation leadership and elite sport development.