Watch: Marcel Bonnici starts work as SPAL CEO as Maltese owners look to form Italian club administration

The Maltese owners at SPAL Calcio, JP Football Holdings, have kick-started their work at the Italian Eccellenza club as newly appointed CEO Marcel Bonnici held a series of talks this week in a bid to start the team’s preparations for the new season.

Bonnici, who also holds the same role at Ħamrun Spartans, arrived in Italy on Sunday and held a number of meetings with the different stakeholders at the club before deciding who will be filling the important positions at the club for the 2026-27 season.

Bonnici spoke to Italian newspaper Lo Spallino and said that they are planning to announce the list of people forming part of the club’s administration next week.

“I don’t want to give many details of the work being done,” Bonnici said.

“During the next few days I will be meeting with several persons with whom the new ownership feels it needs to talk to and also to those who have asked for a meeting.

“We want to honour the city and the history of the club, without forcing any decisions. At the start of next week, we will announce who will be forming part of the club administaration and on July 29 we will hold an official press conference.”

The report said that Bonnici has met with Ferrara’s mayor Alan Fabbri and the Councillor for Sport Francesco Carita.

Bonnici was in Italy to start the handover process from the previous Argentine owners, and in fact he met with the club’s Director General Bruno Pradines who gave him an insight of the administrative work done during the past year.

He also met with the club secretary Alessandro Orlandini and the youth academy chief Marco Aventi.

On Tuesday, Bonnici was due to meet with Mirco Antenucci, the primary candidate to take the role of Sporting Director of the club ahead of the impending departure of Sandro Federico.

As regards the position of first-team head coach, Carmine Parlato is awaiting confirmation on whether he will be retained given that he is still under contract at the club.

The report said that during his stay, Bonnici has met with former president Walter Mattioli who could take the role of senior representative of the club owners in Italy.