In an interview with The Times in 2007, William Gaillard, senior advisor to UEFA chief Michel Platini, described Joe Mifsud, the president of the Malta FA, as an "outstanding individual".

A member of the UEFA Executive Committee since 1994, Dr Mifsud has long been perceived as one of the most respected officials in European football.

Further confirmation of his high standing in the international sphere, if any was needed, came a few weeks ago when he was appointed UEFA vice-president at the end of the European body's 33rd Ordinary Congress in Copenhagen, Denmark.

"The UEFA statute stipulates that there be five vice-presidents," Dr Mifsud told me when we sat down for an interview at the Ramada Plaza Hotel in Budapest a week ago.

"In the past, UEFA had four vice-presidents and a treasurer but since 2007, the number of vice-presidents has been increased to five, one of whom occupies the role of chairman of the finance committee.

"According to the same statute, the nomination of a vice-president must be made by the UEFA president himself and requires the approval of all members of the Executive Committee.

"At the end of the last congress, Platini nominated me as one of the vice-presidents and his recommendation was unanimously endorsed by the members of the Executive Committee."

Dr Mifsud described his relationship with Platini as "very good".

"We work well together. When he (Platini) sees me, he calls me Joe and normally we speak in Italian," Dr Mifsud added as a smile settled on his face.

Platini took over as head of UEFA in 2007 after narrowly defeating Lennart Johansson in a ballot, held in Duesseldorf.

Looking back on his long career in football administration, Dr Mifsud was at pains to single out what he regards as his most significant achievement.

"We have done many things to push Maltese football forward," Dr Mifsud pointed out. "Being familiar with what goes on abroad, especially with regards to the benefits the MFA can gain, puts you in a strong position to start working immediately to avail of those advantages.

"For example, Malta was one of the first countries, if not the first, that applied for assistance to improve our facilities.

"Contacts are priceless. It makes it easier for the Malta FA to organise a seminar, meeting or an international friendly when you can rely on influential contacts overseas. Being a member of the UEFA Executive Committee earns one respect not only in European football but also within FIFA."

The announcement that the MFA supremo had been elected UEFA vice-president came at a time when dark clouds hovered above Maltese football after fresh claims of match-fixing attempts had come to light.

Critics and fans felt that the rise and rise of Dr Mifsud at UEFA gave our football a much-needed fillip.

However, Dr Mifsud disagrees with the view that the recent spurt of bribery allegations has further blemished the image of the local game.

"I don't know why everyone is saying that this is a difficult time for Maltese football," Dr Mifsud said.

"There has always been a lot of talk about bribery. The only difference is that now, also thanks to more co-operation from the police, we can tackle this problem better.

"It has to be said, however, that most of the alleged cases are attempts to bribe. If I'm not mistaken, only one match-fixing case has been proven in court so far (that of the two St George's players who received suspended jail terms)."

"It looks like this is a habit," Dr Mifsud remarked after a brief pause.

The past few months have seen a drastic rise in the number of anonymous letters alleging match-fixing attempts in Maltese football.

"In normal circumstances, anonymous letters are not given any attention but in these cases, we are sending them to the police for investigation.

"When dealing with allegations made in an anonymous letter, I never give details about the mentioned cases because it's not right to implicate persons this way, but we still pass all the material to the police. Whether this is right or wrong, I don't know, but the MFA has adopted this stance.

"This policy is likely to encourage many to write unsigned letters, for one reason or another, but in the circumstances, we feel that it's better to investigate."

Amid all the talk about several allegations of match-fixing attempts in the Premier League this season, some have opined that the MFA should take immediate remedial action if such claims lead to convictions in court.

"We already have regulations on match-fixing in place," Dr Mifsud observed.

"The Malta FA can't change the rules to deal with past cases, we can only introduce new ones to strengthen our fight against corruption. There are already adequate regulations but we are working to make them tougher."

There have been whispers that the Malta FA should give serious consideration to the idea of suspending the league if the magnitude of the problem turns out to be larger than initially thought but Dr Mifsud doesn't believe this is the right solution.

"Why should we suspend the league?" the MFA president asked.

"And what about those clubs that are clean?"

A lawyer by profession, Dr Mifsud's strong character has been central to his longevity as the head of the Malta FA. Throughout his career, he has been at the centre of many a controversy but has always managed to weather the storm.

Attacks on his personality as well as his modus operandi have been a recurring theme of his presidency as his outbursts have not won him many friends outside the boundaries of Maltese football.

"I accept criticism," he said.

"I only get annoyed when it gets negative and based on lies."

In the summer of 2007, Dr Mifsud won another three-year term as MFA president after defeating former treasurer Norman Darmanin Demajo by just three votes.

Does Dr Mifsud intend to seek re-election next year?

"The next election is still a year-and-a-half away," Dr Mifsud replied.

"It's still early. You have to take several factors into consideration, not least your health and other things that life may throw at you. There is still plenty of time to make a decision."

Pressed on this subject, Dr Mifsud added: "If I feel that Maltese football still needs my services, I will... well, I will ask the clubs to nominate me because I can't propose myself. However, I believe that if I declare my intention to stay on as MFA president, I think I will find clubs that put forward my nomination."

As for future challenges facing him and the MFA, Dr Mifsud said: "First and foremost, we have to finish the project to improve club facilities. We will also continue to strive to improve our national teams and we will try to convince our clubs to become more professional.

"I believe that Maltese clubs, especially those in the top division, should have a full-time official to oversee their organisation. In the long run, clubs will benefit from such move because they will be in a better position to generate revenues and attract sponsorships, even if the current economic climate is tough."