Football clubs discourage Joseph Portelli from registering as Spartans player
Several football club representatives have discouraged Joseph Portelli from registering as a player with Ħamrun Spartans FC when he brought up the idea during a meeting on Wednesday. Sources who spoke to Times of Malta said that, during a Malta Premier League meeting, many of the club delegates urged the tycoon to reconsider his decision to play in the top flight of local football, out of fear that it would harm his reputation and the “integrity of football”. Former prime minister and Malta Premier League chairman, Joseph Muscat also reportedly advised Portelli against the idea. Portelli, 42, handed in his resignation as president of the Ħamrun Spartans FC earlier this week, with the intention of registering himself as a player with the club’s first-team squad. Ħamrun Spartans CEO, Marcel Bonnici confirmed that Portelli had tendered his resignation but refused to provide details as to why he had done so. However, a source close to the Gozitan told Times of Malta that the move is intended to pave the way for Portelli to play for the club for a few minutes during a Premier League match. Fellow club presidents do not like the idea During this week’s meeting, Portelli informed his...