By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
DANDENONG Thunder will plead not guilty to misconduct charges leveled against club associates after the alleged abuse of a young female referee at an under-13s boys soccer match.
Team manager and ex-Football Federation Victoria board director Aldrin De Zilva and coach Fitsy Ibraimi were scheduled to appear at an FFV disciplinary tribunal hearing on Wednesday.
Mr De Zilva was charged with two counts of using offensive, insulting or abusive language or behaviour against a match official after the game, Mr Ibraimi with being expelled from the pitch’s technical area during the game.
The club was also charged with “failing to control” Mr De Zilva and Mr Ibraimi.
The hearing, which was closed to the public, was postponed due to a clash with the club’s Dockerty Cup fixture on the same night.
Mr De Zilva, a taxation lawyer at Deloittes, tendered his immediate resignation from the FFV board on 23 May – days after the charges were publicised.
Club spokesman Sezar Jakupi denied Mr De Zilva’s resignation was linked to the misconduct charges, hinting at board unrest that had also led to the stepping-down of FFV chief executive Mitchell Murphy and director Kimon Taliadoros last month.
Mr Jakupi condemned a “trial by media” against Mr De Zilva.
“From our point of view we consider the leaks to the media prior to the hearing highly inappropriate.
“It calls into question the impartiality of the tribunal process and the motivations behind the leaks.”
Mr De Zilva did not respond to the Journal’s requests for comment.
