Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1525176
7 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 11 AUGUST 2024 baggage overshadows new football era ball, what we don't need is to throw politics into the mix." MaltaToday is also informed that MPL meetings are being held at Muscat's taxpayer fund- ed office at Sa' Maison. The office is part of the severance package granted to him when he stepped down in 2020. "It bothers several presidents that MPL meetings are held there. So much so that some are either not attending meetings or sending proxies," the source said. "This did not happen be- fore." Several club figures are also frustrated with the MFA seem- ingly "washing its hands" of an- ything to do with Muscat. "The MFA was too quick to relinquish its power and now its hiding from the situation. Nobody wants to discuss Mus- cat; everyone is scared to men- tion him. It's the elephant in the room nobody wants to discuss," a source said. Club presidents can always file no confidence motion As part of the wider reform, a joint venture between the MFA and the MPL will see the forma- tion of Kampjonat Ltd, a com- pany tasked with organising the Premier League and carrying out matchday operations. The company will have direc- tors representing both the MFA (vice-president Matthew Paris and Stephen Azzopardi) and the MPL (Hibernians President Ranier Bezzina and Marsaxlokk President Frank Cachia). Mario Debono will be company secre- tary. MaltaToday reached out to Kampjonat Ltd chairman Alan Abela over the presidents' is- sues. "I have never been told about any complaints, but if there are, presidents are free to file a no confidence motion in Muscat if they have any issues," he told this newspaper. Asked whether he is confident in Muscat leading the organisa- tion, he said "it does not matter" what he thinks, as it is the club presidents who decide. "I am confident it will be a suc- cess. If I knew the project would fail, I would not be here I assure you," he said. Club presidents irked by lack of information But club presidents are also frustrated with the lack of infor- mation available to them. "A lot has been said, but in re- ality, clubs have little informa- tion," a club source said. "A case in point is 360Sports. Nobody knows what they do and who they are." 360Sports was unveiled as new league sponsor on a three-year deal last June, and are the new naming rights partner of the Malta Premier in what is the largest ever private sponsorship in Maltese sports. MaltaToday is informed that several clubs have not signed a contract to receive money from the sponsorship deal, insisting they do not want to be associ- ated in any way with a company they know little about. A source said they fear in- creased scrutiny from the au- thorities over the source of funds. "The initial sum clubs will get from the deal is also ridiculous. They will get around €12,000 each season which will be paid out over the course of the sea- son. Clubs will get an initial fee of €4,000 – that's barely enough to pay a month's wage for a sin- gle player," a source said. "It is a ridiculous sum for such a risk." Clubs are also bothered by the fact that with the league starting this week, Kampjonat Ltd is yet to be formed, raising concerns over the due diligence that should be underway. But Alan Abela clarified that due diligence issues stem from the fact that Hibernians Pres- ident Ranier Bezzina has re- placed Valletta FC President Alexander Fenech in the com- pany's directorship role, as the capital club was relegated last season. This, he said, has led to the due diligence procedure restart- ing again. He also said the Malta Business Registry approved the Kampjonat Ltd company name last Friday. Abela also clarified that it is the MPL which handles the commercial aspects of the op- eration, and so the company is not concerned with issues of funding. The crucial months ahead Despite the scepticism, Abela insists the "project is making progress". "We have carried out several changes for the better. We are at the early stages of the project, but we have already seen pro- gress," he said. "I am confident it will be a success." But not everyone is so opti- mistic. "Before the MPL was formed clubs were 'tal-kazin' and unprofessional, however after it was organised, we saw some improvement. Unfortu- nately, a lot of work is now hin- dered by the problems which follow him [Joseph Muscat]. It remains to be seen what will happen in the months ahead," the sources said. Joseph Muscat