Success has certainly not gone to the head of former Malta and Bengħisa Tornadoes star central defender Champagne Charlie (Il-Ħalliel), for – as we approach the approach to his beautiful San Ġwann home – it is the great man himself who welcomes us to his beautiful San Ġwann home.
I was immediately struck by the tasteful nature of the couple’s bling
The first thing you notice is its size. Built on seven plots, or 14 tumoli, it really is enormous and – did I mention this before?... Beautiful. Built of Malta concrete brick with elegant gold aluminium window frames and a large double front door in matching gold aluminium, this beautiful palace is a lasting testimony to Charlie – and his partner Joseanne’s – taste and Charlie’s unparalleled skill in... erm, arranging football matches.
After parking my car in the drive of Palazzo Chajos, Charlie and Joseanne’s beautiful home, I walked past the eight-vehicle garage containing Il-Ħaliel’s impressive selection of classic cars. Approaching the open front door, he ushered me inside and graciously suggested I could call him Charlie.
Once inside I was immediately aware of the opulence and style of the hall of his beautiful home, which was repeated in the rest of the palazzo. Dominated by an enormous crystal chandelier, that apparently escapes from its polythene covering on high days and holidays... and when Charlie occasionally allows Bengħisa Tornadoes to win a game.
The first room we were permitted to see and photograph was Charlie’s trophy room; where our host has assembled a whole cornucopia of the symbols and mementoes of his glittering career. Every surface and wall in the trophy room is covered with cups, shields (both ornamental and defensive) and plaques, plus multifarious framed photographs and testimonials.
Charlie immediately drew my attention of one of the most famous photographs ever taken of a Malta international match. It shows the moment when Charlie hacked down the Turkmenistan striker inside the penalty area... when neither of them wasactually in possession of the ball. The conversion of the resultant penalty set the Turkmen side on their way to an emphatic 5-0 victory over Charlie’s Malta.
With the benefit of hindsight Charlie now admits that this was one of the most difficult games he has ever had to erm... arrange. He opined: “But it was worth it in the end. I bought my first Ferrari with the proceeds.” He laughs.
Other treasured keepsakes include a signed photograph of Charlie – as the proud captain of the Malta team – shaking hands with Goran Hidsidevich, one of the best known and high-profile match fixers in Europe. A second Ferrari? Charlie chuckles: “Absolutely not! That was purely a social occasion... business came later. And I never mix business with pleasure.”
Moving on from the trophy room into Charlie and Joseanne’s lounge in their beautiful home, I was immediately struck by the tasteful nature of the couple’s bling. One whole wall of – what Joseanne referred to as their ‘chilling-in’ room – was occupied by a vast flat-screen TV.
Charlie explained: “We watch videos in here and, when I was playing, I used to study my opponents up close and personal and – you’d be amazed to hear – it enabled me to accurately assess who could be and who could not be... put in the bag.”
Which brought me on to the one sad aspect to Charlie’s glittering career, the ending of it. I mean, let’s face it, a 40-year ban from all footballing activities will probably mean the end of Charlie’s illustrious career.
But when I put this to the Bengħisa Tornadoes legend he told me: “It’s ridiculous... In the whole of my career I was only sent off 17 times and booked on 143 occasions. Now, just because 27 people say they saw me receiving a large amount of money from a convicted match-fixer and later whistle-blower... the governing body for world football – the Universal Football Organisation (UFO) have seen fit to impose this stupid ban!”
And with that sombre thought in mind it was time to leave Charlie, Josette and, of course,... their beautiful home.