As the YoHealth Malta Premier came to a close yesterday, with Floriana deservedly lifting their 27th title after a 2-1 win over Marsaxlokk in the Finalissima, this was a season that could best be described as surprisingly not surprising.
The Greens have been building this squad over the past three years, keeping the core of Maltese players intact while making tweaks where needed. What set Floriana apart from every other team this season was their approach to squad building. They did not just focus on strengthening their first eleven. They made sure that the players coming off the bench would be almost at the same level. In January, they added two key signings in Bosnian duo Alen Kurtalic and Kenan Dervisagic, the latter scoring the winner in yesterday’s Finalissima to seal a record 27th title.
Malta international Jake Grech was an important factor in this success, contributing 11 goals, numerous assists and earning the MVP award on multiple occasions throughout the season. Floriana also had arguably the best foreign player in the league in midfielder Federico Varela, who was consistent and influential in the heart of Daniel Portela’s midfield and capped his season with the equaliser on 56 minutes in the final.
Despite Floriana’s dominance, they were not necessarily considered favourites from the outset. Reigning champions Ħamrun Spartans entered the season on the back of three consecutive league titles and an impressive European campaign, becoming the only Maltese side to qualify for the league phase of a European competition. However, their early season form was patchy, drawing their first two games against newly promoted Tarxien and Valletta before finally winning their third against Mosta.
It was clear that the demands of European football were affecting the Spartans. They dropped points in several matches played shortly after European fixtures, possibly due to squad rotation, travel fatigue or the difficulty of switching between competitions. Once Europe was done, Hamrun rediscovered their consistency and went on to win the Opening Round, which sparked fresh excitement among their supporters. Many expected them to follow that up by winning the Closing Round and avoiding the play offs altogether.
However, the Spartans struggled in the Top Six phase of the Closing Round, dropping too many points while Floriana remained consistent. Floriana won the Closing Round with 31 points, six ahead of second placed Marsaxlokk, with Hamrun finishing in a disappointing third. The Spartans then suffered further heartbreak by losing their semi final to Marsaxlokk, though they did recover to beat Valletta in the third place play off and secure a place in the UEFA Conference League next season.
The disappointment of Valletta’s relegation to the Challenge League in 2023/24 feels like a distant memory after this season. The Citizens finished third in the Opening Round and fourth in the Closing Round, made the Final Four and reached the final of the FA Trophy. They also won the historic Jubilee Cup. For a club that was playing in the second tier just a season ago, this represents a remarkable turnaround and is a testament to the hard work of everyone at the club, led by the astute President Claudio Grech.
In my view, had Valletta had a more prolific striker and a slightly deeper squad, they would have been an even stronger force. Given the way they work in the transfer market and the quality of the people running the club, they could well be title challengers next season.
Marsaxlokk finished fifth in the Opening Round, but what impressed most was that they recognised they could do better and acted accordingly in January. They brought in ex Ħamrun Lithuanian midfielder Domantas Simkus and Danish attacker Rasmus Linden, both of whom gave coach Enzo Potenza’s side greater depth and quality. The results in the Closing Round spoke for themselves as Marsaxlokk finished second and went on to reach the Finalissima after beating Ħamrun in the semi finals. Their top performer was Dodo, who finished as the club’s leading scorer and, like Simkus and Corbalan, is another former Ħamrun player who won the league twice with the Spartans. With a bit of fine tuning, this team also could be a real force again next season.
It would be remiss not to mention Birkirkara, Hibernians and Sliema, clubs who are traditionally among the title challengers but who underperformed this season for various reasons, both on and off the pitch. As someone who has followed Maltese football for many years, I have no doubt these clubs will bounce back. I’m sure that the rebuilding process has already begun.
Gżira United looked promising heading into the season, particularly after re signing last season’s top scorer Maxwell Maia, but they ended up in the Opening Round’s Bottom Six and finished fifth in the Closing Round’s Top Six. Their season is not over yet, though, with a place in the FA Trophy final still to play for. Winning that would mean not only pride but also a return to European football.
The biggest sympathies of the season must go to Naxxar Lions. Under George Vella they showed some fine performances in the Opening Round but results were hard to come by and they ended up 11th in the Bottom Six. A change in head coach, with Winston Muscat taking over, combined with the signings of Ndualu Pahama and Daniel Letherby, transformed the team’s fortunes. Naxxar made the Top Six in the Closing Round and looked on course to survive. Sadly, they failed to win a single match in the Top Six stage and lost the relegation play off 1-0 to rivals Mosta, going down in heartbreaking fashion.
A brave effort that ultimately was not enough. For Mosta, next season will be their 16th consecutive season in the Malta Premier League. One must also mention that Naxxar lost the semi final of the FA Trophy to Gżira just in the extra time, so we could have had a relegated finalist in the weekend.
Tarxien’s return to the top flight was always going to be difficult and so it proved. They struggled for results throughout the campaign and were unfortunately relegated back to the Challenge League, losing their play off to Żabbar. The Saints had regrouped impressively after appointing Valletta legend Gilbert Agius as head coach, a change that came at exactly the right time and helped them secure their Premier League status for another season.
