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”.

We felt his decision might damage his reputation- Fellow club president

Former prime minister and Malta Premier League chairman, Joseph Muscat also reportedly advised Portelli against the idea.

Portelli, 45, 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 fellow club presidents about his intentions. And while they did not stop him from doing it, many of them did not like the idea.

“Joseph Portelli is an affable, genuine and kind man and we like him a lot. But in the public perception he can sometimes seem stubborn and set on getting whatever he wants,” one source said.

“We know he’s not like that because we know him well but not everyone out there does. And we felt his decision might damage his reputation in that way.”

Another source said the move was futile because the MFA would probably turn down his registration anyway.

The news of his resignation and intention to register as a player leaked on Thursday, causing a public stirring of emotions, with many people saying they see nothing wrong with the move and others arguing it ridicules the sport.

Portelli wants to play a few minutes after securing title

Ħamrun Spartans are currently leading the way in the Premier League standings with a commanding 11-point lead over their nearest rivals.

Although there are still several matches to be played, they are gliding towards a second league title in the space of three years.

It is understood that, if things go Portelli’s way, he would play for a few minutes in one of the final matches, after the team has amassed enough points to secure the title.

While he can resign whenever he wants as president of the club, playing for the team is a little harder because his registration as a player must be accepted by the MFA, which has several rules in place on who can and cannot play in the championship.

Portelli's signature as player not yet tendered to MFA

The Spartans have not yet tendered Portelli’s signature as a player with the association, whose rules say a club president is precluded from being registered as a player with that same club... that is why Portelli had to resign before being able to register.

But there is no clear rule that precludes a former president from registering as a player.

Still, it will not be that easy. MFA rules say, for instance, that every player over 23 years old must have a contract with the club. So, the 45-year-old business magnate must sign a contract before he can attempt to get himself onto the pitch.

Even if he does sign a deal, it will be obvious why he did so, the sources said.

Simply ticking all the right boxes can still be considered insufficient and his registration could still be unjustified.

It’s his team. If he can do it, I don’t see why he shouldn’t- Club supporter

The MFA’s Reputational Risk Management Policy states that registrations which “could be deemed as potentially damaging for the reputation of the Association” can be referred to its ethics committee.

Should Portelli’s plan succeed, he would become the oldest registered player in Malta’s top football league, edging 41-year-old veteran striker Michael Mifsud.

It is familiar territory for Portelli, who last April registered as a player for Gozitan first division club Nadur Youngsters, scoring from a penalty in a 1-1 draw in their final game of the season. 

People in Ħamrun love the idea

On the streets of Ħamrun, people largely love the idea Joseph Portelli becoming a player.

Times of Malta asked Ħamrun supporters what they think of the move in a vox pop on Friday, and most of them said they see no reason why Portelli should not be able to play.

Some of them were even excited for him and insisted he deserves it, “after all that he has done for the team”.

“It’s his team. If he can do it, I don’t see why he shouldn’t,” one man said.

“I can’t understand how the MFA can refuse his registration. He is doing this with good intentions and he has every right to play,” said another.

Ħamrun supporters are convinced his decision is only temporary and that Portelli will be back as president soon after the league is over.

And most of them would like to see him play centre-forward, to score a winning goal and lift the championship trophy with his team.

Only a few said they think he is too old to be playing on the pitch and a couple of others thought the idea was more of a joke.

“It’s the joke of the year,” one of them said.

“Who does Portelli think he is? Cristiano Ronaldo?”

Correction February 3, 2023: A previous version misstated Portelli's age. He is 45, not 42.