MFA agrees with MPL on semi-privatization of Premier League

MFA – MPL Joint-Venture 12.12.2023

The establishment of a league entity to manage the Premier League was one of the highlights in the strategy for Maltese football embarked on by the Malta Football Association for the four-year term ending next year, 2024.

The creation of a joint venture between the Malta Football Association and the Malta Premier League shows the commitment both entities have towards modernizing and upgrading domestic elite club football in Malta. Today’s partnership consolidates this collaboration with unprecedented responsibility entrusted to the Malta Premier League which will be able to engage directly in commercial activity in the context of branding, sponsorship, and marketing rights of the league.

Apart from the organization of the competition, this project has other objectives, which revolve around revamping the composition and format of the Premier League and enhancing fan engagement.

The commitment entered today between the Malta FA and the MPL will see them jointly manage a newly established company that will organize the Premier League for five consecutive football seasons starting from 2024/25. The project is expected to create more and better opportunities, especially in terms of exposure in line with the Malta FA’s plan to raise the standards of the league in favor of a dedicated and focused entity.

The Malta Premier League, the entity representing Premier League Clubs, was officially established in August of last year, building on its earlier version, the Malta Professional Football Clubs Association.

A few weeks later, in October 2022, it was recognized by the Malta FA’s Executive Board as the organization representing clubs playing in the highest tier of the National Championship. In November 2022, the MPL became an official affiliate of the European Leagues (EL), the organization that brings together the professional football leagues in Europe.

Since then, the MPL has engaged in constant dialogue with the Malta FA, to implement this strategic project to deliver a more attractive, competitive, and sustainable Premier League.

This joint-venture agreement between both entities builds on the allocation of competencies. are the Governance, Club Licensing, Player Status, and Disciplinary process remain under the full remit of the Malta FA, whereas the Commercial, Branding, and other Marketing rights will be entrusted completely to the MPL. Sporting Regulatory matters such as composition and format, match calendar, and football operations, will be shared competencies where both entities share equal responsibilities.

The Malta FA will receive no paid-out financial dividend from the league, although a segmented yearly subvention will continue to be distributed to the league to support the league with organizational costs. The Malta FA will also focus on oversight and needed compliance to ensure the highest standards of accountability, transparency, and integrity.

A Chairperson and two Directors from each side shall be appointed as part of the Board of Directors of the company that will be created to manage the project. The MFA President and MPL Chairman will both sit on the Board of Directors as ex-officio members.

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During the signing of the joint venture both speakers, Bjorn Vassallo on behalf of the Malta FA in his role of President, and Dr Joseph Muscat representing as Chairman the Malta Premier League highlighted the benefits in all this formal agreement between both parties.

Both coming to terms with all this could lead to a stronger commitment in the management and operations of this newly established company which will organise the Premier League for the next five football seasons, starting from season 2024/25.

Joseph Muscat acknowledged that this project could be built on a sound basis.

He said that clubs already made difficult decisions by seeing the top-tier competition being reduced to twelve teams. “It will be a learning curve for all of us but there is potential for growth, which would impact positively Maltese football generally”, Muscat concluded.

Malta FA President Bjorn Vassallo highlighted the fact that this is the second joint venture agreement of its kind signed by the Association, to directly engage with one of its stakeholders, initially with the Futsal Malta Association and in this case with the Malta Premier League.

The basis of today’s agreement revolves around the rights and obligations given by the Malta FA to the MPL and its member clubs, to manage the Premier League, wherein the latter will now be responsible for all the commercial activity about branding, marketing, sponsorship, and a variety of other rights.

This move, together with further financial assistance guaranteed by the Malta FA, shall bring more solidity and sustainability to the league.

“The next strategic step will be that of restructuring, and allowing for the introduction of a co-ownership model, with community members and investors working side by side to help clubs achieve their long-term goals”, Vassallo explained.