Malta Sport has a document which was circulated among Birkirkara FC members just days before Dr Chris Cardona was elected president of the club.
The document, dated 10 May 2026, appears to show a list of people, companies and entities which, according to the same document, were ready to invest in Birkirkara FC and back Cardona’s project for the presidency. Cardona was elected president following the Extraordinary General Meeting held on 21 May, after a motion of no confidence in the previous committee was approved.
This was not presented as a standard committee list. It was a wider network of lawyers, architects, business figures, financial services professionals, companies, foreign-linked entities and football people, all forming part of a proposed new structure for one of Malta’s biggest clubs.
According to the document, discussions had taken place over the previous weeks with several individuals and entities from different sectors. It also stated that these persons and entities had accepted, in some way, to form part of the new structure under a new administration.
The document also referred to a business plan which had been studied and evaluated, to give Birkirkara FC a new direction under what it described as a competent administration.
The names listed include Dr John Gauci, Joseph Farrugia, Paul Debono, Brian Calleja, Donna Attard Bianchardi, Luke Stivala, Christopher Micallef, Dr Chris Cardona, Alfred Attard, Perit Tancred Mifsud, LIHE, Henry Bray, Dr Robert Zammit, Yosef Camilleri, Anthony “Ninu” Mamo, Professor Paolo Catalfamo, Flaris Advisory UAE, Dr Vince Micallef, Christopher Baldacchino, Jean Paul Muscat, Dr Josef Laferla, Krateia Ventures Limited, Clif Co Limited, Mario Gatt, Marwan Al Thani, Mark Aquilina, Joe Aquilina, Dr Joseph Gerada, Kurt Sciortino, Michael Bonello, Jake Azzopardi and Dr Daniel Degorgio.
Krateia Ventures Limited, a company publicly linked to Cardona, appears on the list. Clif Co Limited is also listed, adding another commercial name to the proposed structure.
LIHE, understood to refer to the Libyan Institute for Higher Education, gives the project a North African dimension. The Libyan education presence in Ta’ Giorni has long-standing roots in Malta, with public reports stating that the Libyan Government bought the land in 1976 and later backed a €22.4 million investment linked to the institute.
Flaris Advisory UAE is another significant entry. Its reference to the UAE introduces a Middle Eastern business and advisory angle to the project, at a time when the region has become a major centre for investment vehicles, family offices and international commercial networks.
The Qatari reference is also notable, with Marwan Al Thani listed in the document. Gulf money has become a major force in football through club ownership, sponsorship and global events. Qatar, in particular, has faced heavy international scrutiny over human rights and accusations of sportswashing linked to its role in world sport, especially around the 2022 FIFA World Cup. That does not mean that such criticism applies automatically to any individual or company listed in this document, but it explains why any Qatari-linked involvement in Maltese football will naturally attract attention.
The document also includes several prominent professional figures. Perit Tancred Mifsud is listed, bringing an architectural and civil engineering profile which could be relevant if the club is thinking about facilities, property or infrastructure.
Professor Paolo Catalfamo, publicly associated with LifeStar Holding plc and GlobalCapital Financial Management, brings a financial services profile to the proposed group.
Dr Joseph Gerada, known for his connection to the Family Business Office, points towards governance and business structures, while Dr Josef Laferla is also listed, with public information linking a person by that name to the legal and banking sector.
Other professional names include Dr John Gauci, Dr Robert Zammit, Dr Vince Micallef and Dr Daniel Degorgio, while several other business and club connected figures are also listed, including Brian Calleja, Paul Debono, Christopher Baldacchino, Jean Paul Muscat, Mark Aquilina, Joe Aquilina, Kurt Sciortino, Michael Bonello, Alfred Attard, Henry Bray, Yosef Camilleri, Donna Attard Bianchardi, Luke Stivala and Christopher Micallef.
The timing is central to the story.
The document was circulated on 10 May. Cardona was elected president following the Extraordinary General Meeting held on 21 May, after a motion of no confidence in the previous committee was approved. Public reports later confirmed his election with immediate effect.
By then, members had already been shown a document presenting a wide group of people and entities ready to invest in the club and support a new direction.
The new administration has already started moving on the sporting side, with several players leaving and changes also expected in the technical structure. Paul Zammit is expected to shape the team according to his ideas, while the club is not involved in European competition this summer, giving the new leadership time to plan.
The document seen by Malta Sport suggests that Cardona’s presidency was backed by a network of companies, business figures, lawyers, architects, financial services professionals, foreign-linked entities and football people ready to invest in Birkirkara FC.
Among the more recognisable football names at the end of the document is Mario Gatt, known in Birkirkara circles as “Ta’ Wenzina”, a figure whose presence adds another local football dimension to a project which otherwise appears to stretch from Maltese boardrooms to Qatar, the UAE and Libya.
