Joe Mifsud’s bid to stay on as MFA president: €10,000 for each Premier club

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In what sports observers are calling an epic clash between the ‘big man’ of Maltese football and former MFA treasurer Norman Darmanin Demajo, Joe Mifsud will be sweetening the terms of his re-election with a €10,000 giveaway to Premier clubs.

The money, derived from a TV rights deal Mifsud has negotiated on an international friendly to be announced later this year – perhaps against the Italian national team – is crucial for the incumbent to fend off the competition from Darmanin Demajo.

He also promising a share from TV rights to go to Maltese clubs should be Malta draw against top teams like Italy, England, France, Spain and Germany in the FIFA 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

Sportsinmalta.com reported that Mifsud, interviewed by Robert Musumeci in a TV interview, refused to delve into the serious allegations by Norman Darmanin Demajo into the management of football funds. Mifsud has sued Darmanin Demajo, and Illum journalist Mark Attard over ‘defamatory’ allegations by Darmanin Demajo in a letter he sent to the MFA general secretary.

Mifsud is a vice-president on the UEFA executive committee who has been MFA president since 1992, having seen off rivals such as Joe Caruana Curran and Norman Darmanin Demajo. Mifsud was recently in South Africa to watch the World Cup for a whole month of the competition.

Recently polls by sportinmalta.com and sister newspaper Illum both showed Norman Darmanin Demajo is the favourite to win Saturday’s election. Sportinmalta.com’s poll showed an impressive 73% vote in favour of Darmanin Demajo (general public voted), whilst the Illum poll that was conducted amongst the actual MFA council member voters gave a 43% advantage to Darmanin Demajo with Mifsud claiming 38%, and 19% of those contacted still undecided or did not want to take a side.

Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...

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christopher gauci •

It is time that Mr.Mifsud makes way for a new person with new ideas. He has occupied the post for too long. There should be a rule stipulating a maximum number of years one can hold the post of MFS President e.g. 10 years. Any Preseident who occupies such a post for a long time should realise this on his own and make way for new blood otherwise one might start thinking that he places himself above the MFA. It takes a great and humble man to admit that it is time to relinquish his post and make way for a new Presidemt. Its not an easy decision to make as spending so much time as President becomes your life and it is difficult to accept that it must come to an end. Out of curiosity will he lose his appoitnment on the FIFA council if he is not elected as MFA President? Did Maltese football realy improve whilst he was President? Our FIFA standings have worsened whilst our clubs rarely make it through the qualifying rounds of the european competitions. I am not syaing that this is his fault - becuase its not but we need fresh ideas, fresh energy. But soemone needs to share responsibility and nobody at MFA seems to want to do so. We all know the limitations of Maltese football but our national team seems to be stuck. So in my opinion I would say - thank you very much for your hard work and contribution to liocal football but now its time for a change. No disrespect to Mr. Mifsud.

Mark Fenech •

Mr. Borg, on that score why does the church never changes its administrators until they die? The proverb says 'Never change a winning team' and Dr. Mifsud has done a lot for the local game of football.

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If I am not mistaken last time that Dr Mifsud was elected president of the MFA he said it was his last time to contest the post. It would be interesting to know what changed his mind. Also why wait for the election, to come up with such promises, I am sure that since there is the money to make such promises Darmanin Demajo will surely deliver what Mifsud is promising now. Like government other bodies need a change now and agian.

Joe Mifsud’s bid to stay on as MFA president: €10,000 for each Premier club

Incumbent Joe Mifsud confirmed for the very first time he will give €10,000 in cash to all the 10 Premier League clubs to employ a full time club administrator.