WATCH: ‘I Want To Go Where No Team Has Been,’ New Ħamrun Spartans President Joseph Portelli Outlines Champions League Dream
Ħamrun Spartans is on track to win its first Premier League trophy in three decades, but the vision of the club’s new president extends far beyond the shores of Malta.
In his first official interview as the new club president, Gozitan property magnate Joseph Portelli outlined his ultimate goal and vision, which is to see the club compete at the Champions League.
“The team has three years to build and the first step is to win a trophy or league,” he said.
“The aim of this year was to end up amongst the top three teams in the Premier League, or win a trophy, so we can compete in European competition.”
As it stands, the Spartans sit on top of the Premier League with a total of 56 points and a comfortable five-point margin from second place Hibernians.
The club also recently made Portelli its new president, less than a year after he joined the committee over the summer.
“Obviously from Christmas until now the dream has grown a lot bigger,” he continued. “My goal is to go where no Premier League team has gone, which is one day to compete in the Champions League,” he said.
In order to achieve this goal, the Ħamrun Spartans has bolstered its squad with an aggressive scouting campaign, adding high-profile players such as Seydou Doumbia and Claude Dielna this season.
It has also invested heavily in improving other facets of the club, including its social media and marketing, which has been noticed by many.
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“We have to put our levels very, very high,” Portelli continued. We receive a lot of support and help from a lot of people who dedicate their time to this club for free.”
The Spartans has 15 people working on media alone, explaining the high-quality and consistency of the content on their social media channels, including the interview itself.
Portelli also discussed plans to build a new stadium, which involved going through eight different renditions before settling on the chosen one.
“The project isn’t easy, there’s a lot of finances involved,” he said. “We’ve found a way to make it happen. It’s not going to be a massive project, it’s going to be a medium-sized project where the club doesn’t need to rely on other individuals like me.”
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