The election of Joseph Muscat to head the Premier League clubs association is just an excuse to push for the commercialisation of the football stadia premises, independent candidate Arnold Cassola suggested.

This corresponds to Joseph Muscat's point 2, which says that his plan is to work to generate more business and income, Cassola said in a statement.

The former Prime Minister has been appointed as the chairman of an association representing Malta's professional football clubs, even though half of the Presidents of Malta’s professional football clubs did not vote in his favour.

Yesterday's election gave the following result: Hibs, Hamrun, Floriana, Sirens, Mosta, Marsaxlokk and Gżira voted in favour of Muscat.

Gudja, Santa Lucija, Birkirkara and Valletta voted against.

Pieta', Żebbuġ and Balzan abstained.

If one looks at the seven clubs voting in favour of the "internationally disgraced former Prime Minister", one realizes that the Presidents or close associates of these clubs have strong interest in the building industry (Hamrun, Gżira, Mosta) in catering (Marsaxlokk, Sirens), or are industry captains (Hibs's Bezzina, close to Konrad Mizzi), or with multi business interests (Floriana), Cassola said.

One should also keep in mind that in the recent past Gzira, Hamrun, Marsaxlokk and Floriana have all presented mega-commercial developments for their football stadia.

Sirens and Mosta have also declared they want to commercialise their sporting facilities.

By roping in Joseph Muscat, these clubs are hoping that they can go into a frenzy of building and commercial activity. Money and quick profit is their major scope, Cassola said.

Unfortunately, they have not realized that having as their frontman Joseph Muscat will not only smear the image of Maltese football but will also continue to remind the rest of the world of the terrible international reputation the country has built for itself under Muscat.

Lovers of Maltese football and of Malta itself must unite to show one and all that the majority of the country is not driven by a craze for money and power  but by high ethical and moral standards, Cassola said.

In reply, the Malta Professional Football Clubs Association refuted Cassola's claims, sayinf that he is basing his views on baseless assumptions.

The vote taken was secret and therefore one wonders how Cassola came up with the list of clubs and how they voted.

Cassola gives the impression that Muscat will be responsible for commercial projects. This is not so, the association said. As Muscat specified in his statement, he will not be involved in the running of the individual clubs. Commercial projects will remain under the responsibility of the individual clubs, the statement added.