Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1471699
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 26 JUNE 2022 3 ENTERPRISES MAY BENEFIT FROM AN INVESTMENT GRANT OF UP TO PER PROJECT €50,000 REGENERATION.MALTAENTERPRISE.COM REGENERATION@MALTAENTERPRISE.COM SUSTAINABLE DIGITALISATION WATER EFFICIENCY ENERGY EFFICIENCY WASTE MINIMISATION SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS TEL. NO. 144 Rebranding Muscat Redemption through football magic? 12-13 Maltese clubs rebuff former Labour MP's interest in CEO job LUKE VELLA JOSEPH Muscat will be the sole candidate for a position of chairman of the Malta Professional Football Clubs Association, after the lobby revealed in a statement it had no intention of appointing a full-time CEO. The statement was a rebuff of in- terest shown by former Labour MP Jean Claude Micallef on Friday, that he wanted to contest for the role of CEO of the MPFCA, in a probable run-off against former boss Joseph Muscat. Micallef, who served as a Labour MP under Muscat when he was elected in a casual election after the appointment of minister Helena Dalli to the European Commission, at first issued a critical post many interpreted as being against the nomination of Muscat. Micallef said he was running for the MPFCA post because he could not allow the reputation of Maltese clubs to be tarnished. "I took this step today, because I can never al- low the reputation of Maltese clubs to be tarnished," Micallef said, without making direct reference to Muscat. He later denied his status was a dig at Muscat. Micallef said he believes the Pre- mier League clubs' interests should be detached from the Malta Foot- ball Association, and appoint a chief executive to push forward the plans of the respective clubs. "Together we will move away from partisanship and parochialism and implement a professional system," Micallef said. He said he had taken on board the confidence of members of the "football family", which he said he formed part of. Micallef is also a friend of Malta Football Association CEO Bjorn Micallef, and had formed part of his campaign to be elected MFA president. The MPFCA was formed last year to represent premier league clubs and is autonomous from the Malta Football Association. It comprises 14 clubs from Malta's top-tier foot- ball league. Former prime minister Joseph Muscat is known to have received the backing of two-thirds of the clubs in the association this week. Some clubs, most prominently Val- letta and Gudja, were not in favour, raising concerns over Muscat's po- litical baggage and controversial past Jean Claude Micallef (left) is a friend of MFA president Bjorn Micallef, seen here with FIFA president Gianni Infantino and former sports minister Clifton Grima