Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1506448
14 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 AUGUST 2023 NEWS The Malta Premier League era begins: KARL AZZOPARDI IN a country where the heartbeat of football resonates through every corner, Malta's domestic league has long grappled with a perplexing paradox. Despite an unflinching love for the beautiful game, its own foot- ball landscape has been marred by dwindling attendance figures, persistent whispers of corrup- tion, and a noticeable gap in skill when compared to the interna- tional stage. For years, fervent fans have packed bars to watch overseas footballing giants grace the screen, while their own league struggled to capture the same fervour. The mismatch between the nation's passion for the sport and the indifferent turnouts at domestic matches has perplexed many. But a new chapter beckons, with the Malta Premier League taking centre stage in an audacious bid to revolutionize the sport. But as the league edges towards qua- si-privatization, a veil of scepti- cism hangs in the air, leaving en- thusiasts and sceptics pondering the future of the Maltese game. The Malta Premier League is taking decisive steps towards an unprecedented transformation. The move aims to inject fresh enthusiasm, resources, and ex- pertise into a league that has long yearned for a facelift. However, this radical shift doesn't come without scepticism, with former prime minister Jo- seph Muscat – who is no stranger to controversy – acting as the poster boy for this revolution. Earlier this week, the Mal- ta Football Association (MFA) and the Malta Premier League (MPL) officially announced the start of the 2023/24 BOV Pre- mier League on 15 September. In a joint press conference, the two bodies labelled it a transitional season, with several changes to the format, and new club incen- tives. Among the most prolific chang- es was the announcement that this year four teams will be rel- egated to the Challenge League, and fiscal incentives for clubs to develop local talent, which ac- cording to them would then bol- ster the national team squad. Speaking to MaltaToday follow- ing the press conference, MPL chairman Joseph Muscat said new formats and regulations aim to make the league more compet- itive. Muscat said leagues across Eu- rope and the world depend on three income streams: attend- ance, television rights and com- petitiveness, which he said are all tied together. "If the league is more compet- itive, it will lead to more teams entering the group stage of a Eu- ropean competition, which will in turn see a larger sum of money awarded to the MFA by UEFA," he said. "Having a more compet- itive league will also attract more crowds to our stadia and make TV rights easier to sell. It's a cy- cle." He said the MPL's plans are spread over five years and wants to see a structure where clubs' faiths do not depend on a "sug- ar daddy" to fund the club. "The league and clubs need to be sus- tainable." MFA President Bjorn Vassal- lo said the MPL brought about a new dynamic, which stemmed from the association's decision to "privatise" the country's top-tier football league. He said the MFA has been very open with the MPL, and provid- ed crucial information like fi- nancials, structures and require- ments to organise the league. "It is also being done with the whole football eco-system in mind and has seen active partic- ipation from a number of stake- holders," he said. The investor conundrum In what seems to be the age- old story of Maltese football, the issue of investor revolving doors has longed troubled club admin- istrations and the MFA. Investors, local and sometimes foreign, approach club adminis- trations with big ideas and plans to help them win silverware. While some have actually trans- formed that investment into suc- cess on the pitch, like Hamrun Spartans' Joseph Portelli, other have not been as successful. This failure results in fines, relegation and sometimes bans from Euro- pean competitions. As part of its 2020-2024 strat- egy, the MFA introduced new regulations and safeguards to prevent the symptom which has plagued the game in Malta for years. Maltese football is entering a new phase as it inches towards privatisation of the Premier League in what administrators promise will be a new dawn The attempt by football clubs to commercialise land given to them has at times created controversy, such as the plans for a hostel and old people's home (pictured above) proposed by Marsaxlokk FC