Controversial big developers behind move to push disgraced former PM Muscat for MFA presidency

The unexpected news that several Premier League football clubs are seeking to appoint disgraced former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat as chairman of the newly founded Malta Professional Football Clubs Association (MPFCA) is the first step in an pre-planned strategy to position him as the next President of the Malta Football Association (MFA), The Shift has learned.

This strategy has already been secretly agreed upon by three top tier clubs, Paola’s Hibernians, Hamrun Spartans and Gzira United, which are putting pressure on the other clubs to support their bid to appoint Muscat to this new position.

The Shift has learned that Hibs Team Manager, Jesmond Abela, known as ‘il-Hutch’ and very close to Muscat and Konrad Mizzi, is the main instigator of this plan, and has involved controversial developers Joseph Portelli (President of Hamrun) and Charlon Pace (Gzira United). 

The latter two are also ardent supporters of Muscat who made significant, very lucrative, business deals when the disgraced former prime minister was in power.

The Shift has been told that during a meeting reserved for the 14 presidents of the Premier League clubs yesterday evening, discussing the way forward to form this new association, no formal vote was taken. 

However, despite some opposition from certain clubs, who argued that Muscat is “too tainted” and “divisive” to represent football and deal with the authorities, Muscat’s name was still the only one put forward, and he is expected to be appointed during another meeting scheduled for next week.

Although only Valletta and Gudja have openly criticised Muscat’s appointment and made it clear that they are not comfortable with him representing  them, The Shift is informed that other clubs also disagree with the proposition and are in talks to propose an alternative.

Money, huge debts, and the end goal

Muscat, who was forced out of government after only six years in office due to the unprecedented corruption and criminal activity which had taken over his government, has been seeking a rehabilitation through football since his humiliating resignation.

Originally, Muscat had been touted to take over the running of a Maltese club, formed by the MFA, aimed at participating in the Italian third division (Serie C) league.

During his last weeks in Castille, Muscat made commitments with the current president of the MFA, Bjorn Vassallo, to make available substantial government funds (€9 million) for the project, with the unwritten understanding that Muscat would take over the team’s administration after he stepped down from office.

This deal never materialised however, as the pandemic disrupted the MFA’s plans while Muscat’s successor, Robert Abela did not like the idea of giving any sort of power to his former boss and disgraced Labour leader. As a result, the pledged €9 million was never passed on to the MFA.

During this period, relations between many Premier League clubs and the MFA soured, as some presidents, mostly businessmen with many interests, complained that financial help promised by the MFA wasn’t followed through.

It’s an open secret in football circles that most of the Premier League clubs are in deep debt, with most of them approaching insolvency. The model they operate is unsustainable, and at times approaches what has been described as ‘shady’. 

Premier League sources said that the move to involve Muscat is an attempt to get financial assistance from taxpayers’ funds by pressuring the prime minister to intervene and save some clubs from almost certain bankruptcy.

However, the same sources told The Shift that the appointment of Muscat at the helm of the association would be “a massive risk and might backfire”.

“No sitting prime minister will ever help his predecessor to shine. Relations between Robert Abela and Muscat are very bad, and the clubs pushing this idea may be miscalculating. This will come back to haunt them,” the sources said.

The election for a new president of the Malta Football Association is due next year.