Looking Back 2024: Football: From politics to the pitch and the women writing the script

Football and politics have long been intertwined. Silvio Berlusconi used his role as president of AC Milan to launch his political career, while George Weah, the prolific Liberian striker, went on to become president of his country. 

In Malta, George Bonello du Puis and Robert Arrigo served as presidents of Sliema Wanderers, while Chris Agius held the presidency of his hometown club, St George’s FC. The list of politicians who have also been involved in football includes current Transport Minister Chris Bonett, who was vice president of the Malta Football Association, and Sports Minister Clifton Grima, who served on the committee of Msida St Joseph FC. 

But 2024 saw two former politicians make a notable impact: Joseph Muscat and Claudio Grech. Former prime minister Joseph Muscat solidified his leadership of the Malta Premier League, the body representing top-flight clubs. Despite facing corruption charges in the Vitals hospitals case, club members gave him a vote of confidence in June, opting for him to stay on as chairperson. 

The Muscat touch was evident at the start of the football season, with a new league format based on South American footballing systems. The league now has opening and closing rounds, replacing the traditional two-leg format that had been a mainstay of Maltese football. While football pundits and supporters remain largely confused about how the league winner will be determined, Muscat has stated that the experiment aims to revitalise the domestic league and make it “more attractive.” 

“The format will not be the damnation or the salvation of Maltese football, but the commercial community has reacted positively to it, so at least the Premier League can now fend for itself,” he said at a press conference in April, shortly after UEFA, the European footballing body, approved the new format. The final verdict on the success or failure of the new league format will come next year, when the first such tournament concludes. 

2024 also saw the return of former PN MP Claudio Grech. Two years after retiring from politics, Grech re-entered the public sphere as president of Valletta FC. He took the reins of the club at its lowest point in history. After a disastrous campaign, Valletta FC was relegated from the Premier League for the first time in its history at the end of the 2023/2024 season. 

Saddled with debt and low morale, the club sought new ownership. In a three-way contest between former club sponsor Insignia, Britain’s Club Underground, and Grech’s 1943 Group, members voted for the latter. Grech brought a more grounded approach, moving away from the grand ambitions that some foreign investors have pursued with various Maltese football clubs over the years. 

His target is to return Valletta FC to the top-flight – a goal that seems to be on track, with the team currently topping the Challenge League table. Grech has largely kept a low profile, shying away from media interviews despite leading Malta’s most popular football club, according to a survey by pollster Vince Marmara. 

Haley Bugeja

Women writing the script 

While former politicians are trying to rewrite the script of Maltese football, a more inspiring story is unfolding in the women’s game. Despite the national women’s team failing to maintain the positive momentum of the previous year, ending up at the bottom of Group 3 in the Euro 2025 Qualifiers, the women’s game showed grit and promise elsewhere. 

In 2024, at least 16 female footballers secured contracts with clubs in top European football leagues, a significant milestone that offers hope for the future of the sport. Italy was the destination of choice, with 10 football players moving to the peninsula. 

Star forward Haley Bugeja now plays for Inter, while Nina Lee Naudi is spending another season with Sampdoria. Francesca Bartolo joined Sassuolo from Valletta, Kaysia Micallef also signed for Sampdoria, and Sara Saliba transferred to AC Milan from Birkirkara. 

Several players who had already experienced life in the Italian leagues signed with new clubs. Kailey Willis moved to Parma from Hellas Verona but was loaned to Venezia for the season. Lexine Farrugia joined Roma from Sampdoria, Rachel Cuschieri transferred to Genoa from Sampdoria, and Raisa Costantino signed for ASD Gelbison from SPD Tharros. Emma Lipman also joined Genoa from Como. 

Several Maltese players are also making their mark in England. Alexandra Gatt and Emma Ciantar Piccinino play for Durham Cestria and London Seward, respectively, while Maria Farrugia is with Sheffield United and Ylenia Carabott has signed for AFC Fylde. Maya Lucia plays for AP Orlen Gdansk in Poland, and Jana Barbara, who has been playing in Germany for several years, is now with Schalke. 

However, the bright prospects in the women’s game are not mirrored in the men’s football sphere. In 2024, Malta’s male national team failed to secure promotion from League D to League C in the UEFA Nations League. Promotion now hinges on a playoff match against Luxembourg in March, with football enthusiasts hoping for a victory that could finally break the male team’s otherwise underwhelming history in the Nations League. 

The disappointment is all the more striking when considering that minnows San Marino – a tiny landlocked country with a population of around 35,000 and ranked as the worst team in the world – managed to gain automatic promotion to League C by topping their group. While San Marino’s success may be a fluke, it underscores the struggles the Maltese men’s team has yet to overcome. 

Additional contribution by Karl Azzopardi.