Gozitan footballer ‘Il-Pullu’ gets life ban following ‘job for goal’ offer

Manuel Xerri, the 31-year-old Qala Saints footballer better known as il-Pullu, has been banned for life from the game after being found guilty of corruption by the Malta Football Association’s disciplinary board.

Another player, Leonard Camilleri, 39, was also found guilty of helping il-Pullu in his attempt to bribe the goalkeeper of Nadur FC and banned.

The Qala Saints president is Noel Mizzi, the driver of Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri and a PL local councillor. The MFA board somehow let the club off the hook without explanation.

The story hit the headlines last October when The Shift reported court testimony on how the Qala FC player offered Nadur’s goalkeeper a government job for life if he let his team win.

Testifying in separate criminal proceedings against the two players, Inspector Wayne Borg said investigations revealed that Qala Saints player Xerri had used Nadur player Leonard Camilleri to approach Nadur’s team goalkeeper, Steve Sultana, to help the Qala team win the crucial game through a bribe.

Camilleri used to play for Nadur and was close to Sultana.

According to Inspector Borg, Sultana’s prize for letting a ball into his net and helping Qala win the match was “a job with the government with the condition that he would get paid without ever going to work for a whole year.”

The Nadur goalkeeper refused the Qala footballer’s offer and reported the case to the football authorities in Gozo.

It is unclear how Manuel Xerri, a 31-year-old soldier and restaurant owner, had the authority to offer someone a government job.

Despite his young age, he owns various businesses, including the ‘Rendezvous Bar and Grill’ in Xewkija Square.