Marcel Bonnici has been appointed CEO of Italian Eccelenza side Ars et Labor Ferrara Calcio following Joseph Portelli’s acquisition of the club.
Mr Bonnici has a long working relationship with Mr Portelli, serving as CEO of Mercury since 2019 and as CEO of Ħamrun Spartans.
He previously held several senior positions at JobsPlus and served as an officer in the Armed Forces of Malta.
Mr Portelli has become the first Maltese football administrator to purchase a foreign club.
Founded in 1906 and once known as SPAL, the club recently competed in Serie A for three seasons between 2017 and 2019.
However, it dropped two divisions to Serie C and financial difficulties eventually forced it into liquidation. The club was refounded as Ars et Labor Ferrara for the 2025/2026 season, competing in the fifth tier of Italian football.
Although it has fallen far from its heights, Mr Portelli voiced conviction that he can help return the club to its former glories.
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