Ħamrun Spartans president Joseph Portelli is bowing down to the Malta Football Association’s decision not to register him as a player – for now.

But he is adamant he will not give up on his “dream” of playing in the premier league and intends to pursue it “for as long as necessary”.

“I will keep trying, even if I’m 60,” he told Times of Malta in an interview a few hours after the MFA’s decision came out.

The controversial 45-year-old construction magnate handed in his resignation as Ħamrun president last month to register as a player for his own club.

He wanted to play for a few minutes in the premier league’s final match in what is expected to be the club’s ninth title win.

But according to recently adopted MFA regulations, a club president is precluded from being registered as player with the same team.

Portelli spoke of his acute disappointment. In between bouts of anger, he said he considered leaving Maltese football for good but respected MFA president Bjorn Vassallo’s decision.

He said he would now wait for Vassallo’s term to be over so he could give another try to put his football boots on with his successor, while praising the MFA president for his contribution to the local game.

But he won’t be forgiving him fast: “Shame on Bjorn. After all I did for Maltese football, is this how I am thanked? All I’m asking for are a few minutes on the pitch, to fulfil my lifelong dream.

“Am I going to harm anyone or take anything from anyone by simply playing for a few minutes in a league that has already been won?” he said.

“They only refused me because I’m Joseph Portelli,” he said, admitting that he had started training to gain fitness.

Despite support from the people of Ħamrun, other fans of football felt his move would ridicule the sport.

Shame on Bjorn. After all I did for Maltese football, is this how I am thanked?

Fellow club presidents and Malta Premier League chair Joseph Muscat also discouraged Portelli from pursuing his dream.

Portelli, who this week returned as the club’s president, said he does not rule out a sense of jealousy among some of his fellow football leaders, saying they probably do not feel comfortable with Ħamrun growing from a weak team to a winning one and grabbing ever-larger portions of UEFA funds. He says he would probably feel the same in their shoes.

But he is furious about people saying he is ridiculing football.

“When I fork out €2 million annually for a local team, nobody says I’m ridiculing football. When Ħamrun Spartans became the first Maltese team to almost make it to the group stages of a European league last year, people didn’t think I ridiculed football.

“But just because I want to play for a few minutes with my team, all of a sudden, I become the guy who ridicules football. It’s not fair,” he complained.

He also finds it hard to understand why his application was refused when the MFA had accepted it two years ago.

Ever since he took over the team in 2021, he has agreed with every coach to let him play for a few minutes during the final match if the team had enough points to win the title, he explained.

However, after he had registered himself as a player back then, the team was declared champions before they made it to the final match because the season had to be cut short due to COVID-19 restrictions. Portelli never got the chance to hit the pitch.

Had he done so, he would not have attempted again this year, he says, insisting he abided by the rules.

He believes the new MFA rule was brought in after he played during the final match with Gozo’s Nadur Youngsters.

‘All players must be professional’ – MFA

In a reply to questions, the MFA said the registration then was for an amateur status, which was permissible at the time.

“Since then, as part of a number of governance reforms, in the Premier League players over the age of 23 must be registered as professionals,” an MFA spokesperson said.

“The Ethics and Compliance Committee and eventually the executive board determined that Mr Portelli is not a professional player and thus rejected his registration.”

The MFA would not comment on whether the rule was specifically introduced to prevent Portelli from attempting a move similar to the one in Nadur.

It said that following its strategy launch in 2021, it committed itself to overhaul its governance structures, leading to a number of reforms, including the introduction of the ethics committee.

The MFA said it welcomed Portelli’s return as Ħamrun president, adding the club had been cooperative throughout a process aimed at safeguarding all stakeholders.

“In this way, attention can return to the game on the pitch, which is what matters most to its followers.”

Portelli eyes international team

Portelli is eyeing an international football team, possibly in the Italian Serie B or C – and admits that if he does so in the coming years he will attempt to pull off the same move on Italian soil.

He is sure the Italians would happily grant his wish.

Some critics have argued his move was merely an extension to what he already does in his business, that is, shower sponsorships over politics, religious and cultural events to buy power and freedom to do as he likes.

“Please understand this,” he replied. “I am not interested in money. You don’t understand this, but I swear to you, it’s true,” he said passionately.

“I give out some €4m annually in sponsors because football is my life and it fulfils me to see the money go to organisations who need it. And I like to feel loved by people.”

He also denied his move was in any way an attempt to evade tax – professional and semi-professional footballers in Malta only pay 7.5% tax on their income.

Unplanned pregnancy ‘disrupted my dream’

Portelli said his unaccomplished dream had been disrupted by an unplanned pregnancy when he was a teenager, when he was playing in the national Under-16 squad.

“I would have probably gone on to become a professional footballer and play in the premier league anyway.

“But when I was 17 I learned I was going to have a baby and at that time I had no money to raise a child.

“I was forced to abandon football for good to get a job and help my family. That was one of the experiences that made me a businessman while ruining my football career.”