L-Aqwa Żmien Tal-Futbol: Is Joseph Muscat’s New Role A Plan For Something Bigger?
After being booted out of Maltese political life, Joseph Muscat is on the comeback trail, setting his sights on Maltese football as the vehicle on his journey back to the forefront of public life.
His appointment as the chairman of the Malta Professional Football Clubs Association has raised eyebrows, particularly after his controversial tenure as Malta’s Prime Minister, which ended in disgrace following his office’s links to the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia and years of major corruption allegations.
Muscat has made a bold pledge, insisting that he will push through ambitious reforms to improve revenue and the number of supporters, to ultimately improve Maltese standards in international football.
But while many express concern at the former political behemoth making strides in public life, the question remains as to what Muscat’s long-term plans are and whether any ulterior motives are at play.
1. The journey to Serie C
Maltese football’s lofty dreams of joining the Italian football structure are no secret. The Malta Football Association has long been planning to take a professional club to the Serie C, but this has been delayed amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Muscat has been a key face in the project – holding a four-hour meeting with the MFA just days after he was forced to resign as Malta’s Prime Minister.
It’s unclear whether the plans still remain but Muscat has strong ties to key institutions in Italy following his stint as Prime Minister, not to mention his numerous VIP outings to Italian football stadia during his tenure.
It would make him immensely popular among Maltese, who would be excited at the prospect of a Maltese team eventually climbing up the ranks and playing in the top tier, facing off against heavyweights like Juventus Milan and Inter on a yearly basis.
It also presents a massive economic opportunity for the islands, which would cash substantial revenue from football tourism.
Of course, his association is focused solely on the Maltese Premier League. But how could a team even be formed without the bigger players on board?
2. A step up to something bigger
Muscat’s international ambitions are a poorly kept secret. While serving as Prime Minister, his ultimate goal was always to jump ship to something bigger, as evidenced by his unsuccessful bid to become EU Council President.
Corruption allegations and Daphne’s murder poured cold water on those dreams – but his new role could be the perfect springboard in major football institutions.
While he has dismissed the idea of running for MFA President, his new role does open up the door to potentially building new contacts with major figures abroad. As a former Prime Minister, he already has some clout in the right circles and could potentially use negotiations with the Italian FA as a door into UEFA and FIFA.
Of course, there still remains a stain on Muscat’s career, but that hasn’t stopped him (or FIFA) before.
3. Build, build, build
Malta’s land space, or lack thereof, is well known. And Malta’s many football grounds provide the perfect platform to build mega commercial establishments. In his first post following the announcement, he said that he plans to generate more business and revenue streams
However, with poor ticket and merchandise sales, the only avenue clubs can get rich quick from is by transforming their grounds into major commercial hubs.
Portelli, Muscat’s long-time ally, has already shown some interest in this with plans to develop the Victor Tedesco Stadium in Ħamrun.
Muscat’s ties to the construction industry, in particular, are well documented with his government regularly pandering to developers’ requests, even as buildings began to collapse.
It seems like a wild guess to suggest that Muscat’s long-term plans are construction, but if it means currying the favour of those who first brought him into power to do so again, it could just be his end game.
4. The start of a political comeback
Maltese people agree on a few things, but love for football is almost universal on the island, despite the abysmal performances of both the national team and local clubs on the international stage.
There’s a massive appetite to see local clubs perform in international competitions, potentially facing off against the European heavyweights they watch on their TV screens practically every weekend of the year.
Taking Maltese clubs to the next level will not only endear him to the supporters of the clubs themselves but with the country at large, who will lap up positive results regardless of the man at the helm.
It’s the perfect platform for Muscat to make a name for himself once again as a shrewd operator who gets results. An impressive performance in the role and it could lead to further opportunities in sports and politics at large.
It might seem unlikely for some. But if there’s one thing Muscat has constantly thrived on, is being continuously underestimated by his opponents.
Having Joseph Portelli, who has long been one of Muscat’s key allies in the business community, as part of the association will only help endear himself to the movers and shakers in the country once again.
Whatever the case, be sure that Muscat will keep his plans close to his chest. Still, all eyes will be on the former Prime Minister as he attempts to improve Malta’s football scene, which ironically has been plagued by its own unsavoury allegations over the last decade.
The only thing that’s certain is that this will not be the last we see of Muscat, whose ambitions will continue to drive towards bigger and better positions.
What do you think of Muscat’s new role?
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