After his failure to be enlisted as a player, Joseph Portelli is now back as president of Hamrun Spartans.

Portelli had resigned the post in a bid to be registered as a play to fulfil his dream of playing in the Premier League.

But his application was turned down by the Malta Football Association. Portelli, who had not been replaced as president of the club, is now back at the helm.

Portelli has chosen not to appeal the decision taken by the MFA, while at the same time asking the club to revoke his resignation as president. The club accepted.

In a statement announcing its refusal to accept Portelli as a player, the MFA had said: "The Malta FA Executive Board met today to discuss the request by Ħamrun Spartans FC to register Mr Joseph Portelli as a professional player following his resignation from the post of club president. The recommendation of the Ethics and Compliance Committee not to accept the registration was confirmed by the Executive Board, which is ultimately the competent body to decide on such matters on the basis of the Association's Reputational Risk Management Policy."

Last April, Portelli had played for Nadur Youngsters in a 1-1 draw against Kercem Ajax.  He had scored Nadur’s equalising goal from the penalty spot.

He had played football competitively in Gozo with Nadur when he was much younger, but had stopped the sport due to other personal commitments.

Portelli is a well-known developer whose projects have created environmental controversies in the past years.

Portelli’s companies, apart from sponsoring Hamrun, are also sponsors of Nadur Youngsters, where Portelli’s son serves as president, Qala Saints and, in waterpolo, San Giljan ASC.