ABSTRACT
Just as Maltese politics of the 1980s and 1990s was dominated by the issue of Malta’s potential accession into Europe, so too was Maltese football preoccupied with its relationship with Europe. This was an extension of the enduring preoccupation with ‘all things foreign’, as outlined in the last chapter, but with a particular concern in mind. Where Chapter 4 outlined the successive importation of players, tactics and coaches in pursuit of footballing success, this chapter examines the particular preoccupation with the question of professionalism. While professionalism is clearly a means to an end – a way of ensuring quality of performance and organisation – it might also be usefully seen as a symbol; a footballing proxy for modernity.
