Dr Joe Mifsud Bows out after giving UEFA 17 years’ service

Malta Independent Wednesday, 23 March 2011, 00:00 Last update: about 13 years ago

For Dr Joseph Mifsud, former MFA president, yesterday was his last Congress as a UEFA Executive Committee member.

He had served the top European football body for a whole 17 years - a splendid career, during which he was also MFA president till 7 August of last year.

Mifsud, born on 13 August 1950, was first elected to the UEFA Executive Committee in 1994 and since then he has been an important figure in European football, also serving on the FIFA Executive Committee from 1998 to 2000.

A lawyer by trade, Dr Mifsud started his career in football administration with his local club, Qrendi FC, and became a prominent administrator within the Malta Football Association (MFA). He served the MFA first as vice-president and then as president from 1992 to 2010.

The first Maltese national to serve as a UEFA vice-president, he has said: “Football is a passion as well as an expression of humanity. Players, referees, coaches, administrators, media and supporters are all bound together by football. People come from different countries, nationalities, religions, sexes, ages and cultures and that makes it a true exercise in human relations. Football brings together so many different people from all over the world that it is a passion and a joy.”

His roles at UEFA were as follows:

Futsal and Beach Soccer Committee (deputy chairman) 2007-2009, Players’ Status, Transfer and Agents and Match Agents Committee (chairman) 2007-2009, EXCO Working Group National Associations (member) 2004-2007, Working Group on Competition Regulations (member) 2004-2007, FIFA Executive Committee (member) 1998-2000, Referees Committee (chairman) 1998-2000, Juridical Committee (chairman) 1994-1998, UEFA Appeals Body (member) 1984-1994.

This year, as he decided not to contest again, he was occupying other roles, that is, Executive Committee (vice-president), Stadium and Security Committee (chairman), Players’ Status, Transfer and Agents and Match Agents Committee (deputy chairman), Professional Football Strategy Council (EXCO representative), Amicale des Anciens (member).