The Malta Football Association (MFA) has accepted Joseph Portelli’s resignation as president of Ħamrun Spartans FC, which allows him to register as a player for the club, Times of Malta revealed.
Despite this, the MFA is still likely to deny his player registration and refer the case to its ethics committee.
The committee will then decide if Portelli can play for Ħamrun’s final premier league match. The MFA’s Reputational Risk Management Policy states that registrations which “could damage the association’s reputation” can be referred to its ethics committee.
Portelli wants to play a few minutes in the final match after the team secured the title, but has faced opposition from some clubs and the Premier League chair, Joseph Muscat.
Portelli argues that he has dreamed of playing in the premier league since he was a child and says those who want to mock the game would not invest €1.5 million annually in a local team. An international sports lawyer wrote to the MFA urging it to accept Portelli’s wish.
#MaltaDaily