In a major step that challenges the traditional sporting hierarchy, Valletta FC and SMMI srl have today sealed an agreement which is set to transform Valletta FC’s women’s sector into a leading football set-up, forming part of an international women’s football network.
The agreement, signed today between John Naudi, owner of the Malta-based SMMI srl, a spokesperson for Redeem Finance, and Claudio Grech, President of Valletta FC, provides for a long-term management agreement of the Valletta FC Women structure, introducing an autonomous framework dedicated exclusively to the growth, professionalisation, and empowerment of women’s football. By spinning off the women’s division into its own set-up, this initiative establishes a professional sports organisation built from the ground up to support the further development of female athletes.
Valletta FC Women will now operate within a prestigious international multi-club ownership network, which includes AS Monaco (France), Napoli Femminile (Italy) and Molassana Women FC (Genoa, Italy). This strategic alignment brings unprecedented global reach, elite-level resources, and unparalleled pathways for young Maltese talent.
This long-term management agreement explicitly dismantles the obsolete model that women’s football should be a second priority in the football ecosystem.
“For too long, women’s football has been forced to accept the unfortunate reality of always coming second within male-dominated club structures,” said John Naudi, owner of SMMI srl. “Our investment is designed to break that cycle completely. We are not treating the women’s division as an administrative branch or an afterthought; we are establishing a standalone, heavily capitalised structure. This project is about providing female athletes with the exact same institutional respect, elite resources, and professional focus that their male counterparts have enjoyed for a century. Our investment group’s core mission is clear: to elevate Valletta FC Women, providing them with the technical guidance, infrastructure, and financial backing required to compete at the highest European levels.”
The vision brought forth by this group extends far beyond the boundaries of 90-minute football matches. The partners are launching a dedicated, localised project focused exclusively on women in sports, designed to cultivate a holistic lifecycle of athletic, personal, and professional empowerment.
“Our objective is to create a setup within which women are empowered from an early age up to the years well beyond their retirement,” explains a spokesperson for Redeem Finance. “A sports career is short, but human potential is lifelong. Through our multi-club network, we are building a framework where a young girl can enter our ranks as a child, develops into an international professional, and transitions into a qualified coach, sporting director, or club executive within our global network. We are investing in the woman, not just the football player.”
The strategic step marks the next milestone in the transformation journey of Valletta FC. The convergence of Valletta FC as a football institution, the community’s engagement and the inspirational vision of the investment group set the stage for a long-term framework intended to develop the women’s football sector in the Club and in Malta.
“When we started this journey two years ago we pledged to build a sporting institution which cherished its heritage but also evolves into a modern, sustainable, and ambitious Club. This step marks the next foundation block for our future: giving women’s football its due focus on the Club’s centre-stage,” underlined Valletta FC President Claudio Grech. “Apart from having an exceptional football focus, our partners share the same passion and hunger for the Capital and the future of Valletta FC, particularly because this structure provides the ultimate platform for local home-grown female talent to reach the European stage while remaining fiercely proud of their roots.”