Valletta F.C.: Difference between revisions
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*'''Super 5 Lottery Tournament: 4 ''' |
*'''Super 5 Lottery Tournament: 4 ''' |
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:: 1992/93 1996/97 1999/00 2000/01 2007/08 |
:: 1992/93 1996/97 1999/00 2000/01 2007/08 |
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*'''FA Trophy: 11 ''' |
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:: 1959/60 1963/64 1974/75 1976/77 1977/78 1990/91 1994/95 1995/96 1996/97 1998/99 2000/01 |
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*'''Centenary Cup: 1 ''' |
*'''Centenary Cup: 1 ''' |
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Revision as of 07:54, 4 June 2009
 | This article contains wording that promotes the subject in a subjective manner without imparting real information. (October 2008) |
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| Valletta FC | |||
| Full name | Valletta Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | City, Lily Whites,tal-Palestina | ||
| Founded | 1886 | ||
| Ground | Ta'Qali Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 17,800 | ||
| League | Maltese Premier League | ||
| Runners up | |||
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Valletta Football Club is a Maltese football club based in the capital city of Malta, Valletta.the biggest club (both from a fan-base and monetary point) on the island and by far the most successful Maltese team in recent times winning a total of 5 championships in the last 12 years.[citation needed]
Valletta Football Club was founded in 1943, as merge of Valletta Prestons and Valletta St. Paul's. The extinct Valletta United which had won two league championships before the World War II.
Early history
Football in Valletta reportedly started in 1886
The foundation of Valletta F.C. was laid with the creation of the Valletta United team. Valletta United was known as the 'team of the square' since the club was located in St. George's Square. Valletta United represented the city from 1904 to 1932.
Valletta United won the Championship twice, in 1914/15 and 1931/32. They were also runners up for two seasons 1925/26 and 1926/27. United also won the Cousis Shield, which is also known as the Knock Out Competition (although the word "Trophy" is even more familiar) - they won this twice in 1914/15, and they did the double in that season and in 1920/21.
By winning these trophies, Valletta United was breaking the barriers of Sliema and Floriana football for the first time in Maltese history. Although Sliema and Floriana both dominated the local scene in those times, it was Valletta United that started to break into this monopoly and induce greater competition. Valletta United were very active in the Championship of the first division and in fact played 97 games.
During the period that Valletta United played within the M.F.A. (i.e. from 1909 to 1932), Valletta United won the championship in 1931/32. However for some reason in the following season when they were obviously ready to defend the title, Valletta United disappeared from the football scene and thus the monopoly of Sliema and Floriana football clubs recommenced.
Valletta United was the not the only team that played in the highest Division of the M.F.A. In the 1925/26 and the 1926/27 seasons there were Valletta Rovers who played in the highest Division of the M.F.A., then in the season 1937/38 and 1938/39 there was Valletta City. There were St. Paul's and the Valletta Prestons who were playing in the second division. It is to
be noted that St. Paul's were always in a better division than the Prestons until the end of season 1939-40 when Valletta St.Paul's finished last of Division 1 an relegated to division 2,while Valletta Prestons finished top of 2nd division and promoted to 1st division.
The Amalgamation between St. Paul's and Prestons
It was 1935 when the M.F.A. started its campaign so that each city and village will be represented by one team. Obviously during that time, as we have already said, St. Paul's and the Prestons were the big teams in Valletta City and negotiations for the amalgamation had to start and which took a long time and there were arguments between the two clubs. There was also War which impeded us from concentrating on amalgamation, but after the end of the second World War, football started again, so did the M.F.A. Competitions.
In 1943, the amalgamation took place between Valletta St. Prestons and St. Paul's. Originally the notes read that they were named Valletta St. Paul's but such name was immediately changed into the Valletta F.C. In this amalgamation between St. Paul's Valletta Prestons there were number of people connected with, referring to these two Clubs' Committees, but particularly one must name Guze Muscat who was the President of St. Paul's, Emanuel Calleja and Joseph Salinos known as the 'Chief' who both were the 'factotum' of the Prestons. These three persons worked hard in fact they also formed part of Valletta F.C. for many years.
One must say that regulation number 3 of the statute, says that Valletta F.C. must recognize Valletta United, St. Paul's, Valletta City and Valletta Prestons as well as those who precede them. That is why Valletta F.C. prove that before the war they won the Championship twice, these had been won by Valletta United. With this regulation no. 3, they had to accept that one of the amalgamated clubs Valletta St.Paul's was relegated to the 2nd division in season 1939-40, while the other club Valletta Prestons were 2nd division champions in season 1939-40. This means that the only club in Maltese football that always played in the top division is Hibernians F.C.
On the re-opening of the M.F.A. activities after the World War II, Valletta F.C. had a great success, and in the first season 1943/44, the M.F.A. had created the Malta Cup instead of the league. At first the Malta Cup had the significance of being the Championship, but then the M.F.A. decided it was to be played on knock-out basis, owing that football had just been revived after the war. Valletta F.C. reached the final against Floriana where we noticed the youthful of the Valletta Team which consisted of St. Paul's and Prestons' players against the big experience that the Floriana team had. Notwithstanding all this experience, the Valletta spirit rose for this occasion and defeated Floriana by 2-1.
This beautiful Malta Cup is to this day in the Club and it is one of the most precious honours that the Valletta F.C. have won, but the Valletta Team did not stop here, as this was not something created by chance. In fact, between 1943 and 1948, Valletta F.C. won not less than three times, the Championship in 1944/45, 1945/46 and 1947/48 and they also won the Cassar Cup in the year 1944/45 just after they had won the Malta Cup.
When we mention the Cassar Cup, at that time this was considered as the true Malta Champion because in this Cup very good British Services' Teams mixed with Maltese ones to take part. Then there was a stop from honours wins; in fact between 1948/49 and 1958/59 seasons, Valletta F.C. did not win any particular honours.
The start of more honours
Valletta F.C. started again with a train of honours, just at the end of the fifties 1958/59, 1959/60. They were Champions twice. If we look at every ten years of honours won by the Valletta F.C., we find that in the years of sixties, the Valletta F.C. were champion ones- in 1962/63, but then in the year of seventies, Valletta won the Championship three times, 1973/74, 1977/78, 1979/80 and in the eighties they also won two more times, 1983/84 and 1989/90.
The best time for Valletta F.C. is the nineties where Valletta won five from ten Championships: 1991/92, 1996/97, 1997/98, 1998/1999 and 2000/01. This is in short the history of Valletta F.C. but obviously, Valletta did not only win the Championship, there was the history of the Trophy, one of the competitions that hindered Valletta F.C. most to win it; but now time passed on, and the Valletta F.C. has now become one of the teams that win the honours. Enough to say that, between 1959/60 and 2000/01, Valletta won the Trophy not less than eleven times. As we have already said, then there were other competitions that Valletta won four times- between 1944/58/65 and 1968, as well as Scicluna Cup which was actually considered as the Cup of the Sliema team which they used to win every year, but it was the Valletta Team that has broken this Sliema monopoly, by winning this Cup in two seasons, in 1960 and 1963, Valletta have also won the Testaferrata Cup and also the Sons of Malta Cup which the latter Cup was won twice by the Valletta F.C. Another success by Valletta F.C. was the winning of the Lowenbrau Cup, which Cup is played between those three teams representing the Maltese Football in UEFA competition.
The winning of five cups in one season
Valletta F.C. have also made a fine record when in 1996/97 they won the five competitions that the Maltese football offers. This was done by succeeding to win the Premier League, Rothmans Trophy, Super Five Cup, Lowenbrau Cup and Super Cup.
The historic season - 2000/2001 - Six cups in one season
In the season 2000/01, Valletta F.C. succeeded in breaking their own record of winning all five competitions organized by the M.F.A. in 1996/97. This time they won six competitions offered by the M.F.A. Six competitions due to the fact that another one, namely the Centenary Cup, had been added to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the M.F.A. The Centenary Cup win was possibly the most prestigious as in the final they defeated their rivals Floriana. One must mention that Valletta F.C. is the only team that ever won the five competitions organized by the M.F.A. as well as the six competitions namely: the Premier League, Rothmans Trophy, Centenary Cup, Lowenbrau Cup, Super Five Cup and Super Cup, all organized by the M.F.A. too. We can say that unless other additional tournaments are introduced, the record of Valletta F.C. can only be equalled by the next turn of the century.in the story of malta football only valetta do this record
2008: Champions again
The hope of the first trophy in 7 years was a huge thought running through Valletta fans this summer. Victor Sciriha, one of the richest men in Malta was elected President of the club. Valletta spent a lot of money in the transfer market and expectations were high. Valletta began the season in the worst possible fashion, with a 3-2 defeat to Eternal rivals, Floriana. Valletta's poor start continued with a 1-1 draw against Hibernians, defeat to Sliema, a 0-0 draw with Ħamrun and Msida respectively. However, eventually Valletta hit good form with a 1-0 win over Birkirkara, a 7-0 trashing over champions Marsaxlokk and they gained revenge over Floriana with a 4-0 win on the 8 December. After wins over Msida, Mqabba, Ħamrun, Sliema and Marsaxlokk the club showed its winning pedigree. Valletta headed to the final round of the season on a high note.
Valletta won their 19th Premier League title after Marsaxlokk failed to beat Birkirkara on Saturday 3 May after a very successful Championship Pool campaign. However, with the title in the bag the long unbeaten streak soon came to an end, and the season ended with a number of defeats. The team also failed to reach the U*Bet F.A. Trophy 2008 final, after losing 4-2 to rivals Birkirkara F.C. in the semi final. But except for the early stages and the post-championship games, Valletta had been by far the most consistent side.
Valletta in Europe
Valletta FC's baptism in European football was in season 1963/64, against Dukla Prague (0-8 agg.) in a Champions' League qualifying round against Czechoslovakia giants Dukla Prague which were led by Josef Masopust.
To date (season 2001/2002), Valletta FC participated 25 times in European competitions; 11 editions of the European Cup and 7 editions each of the Cup Winners Cup and UEFA Cup.
Through the years, Valletta FC were polled against several high-profile European clubs- Juventus FC and Internazionale (Italy) (1-7 agg.), Leeds United (England) (0-7 agg.), Glasgow Rangers (Scotland) (0-18 agg. losing the home leg 0-10), Porto (Portugal) (0-4 agg.) and Dinamo Moscow (USSR) (0-7 agg.) to mention just a few.
The results obtained by Valletta in European competitions, were however not always so positive. Disastrous results such as 8-0 defeats against Grasshoppers of Switzerland and Honved of Hungary as well as a 10-0 trashing against Glasgow Rangers were amongst the worse defeats experienced. However, amidst all this, Valletta also achieved positive results such as minimal 1-0 defeats to Porto and Internazionale as well as victories against HJK Helsinki and Barry Town.
Without any doubt Valletta's qualification to the first round proper of the European Cup in season 1999/2000 was the most successful participation ever, eliminating Barry Town of Wales 3-2 on aggregate. In season 2000/2001, Valletta just missed qualification in extra-time losing 8-6 on aggregate to Rijeka in the qualifying round of the UEFA cup.
In season, 2001/2002, Valletta FC participated in European competitions for the 13th consecutive year. In fact no other local club has ever managed to participate for such a long period consecutively.
Achievements
- 1914/15*, 1931/32*, 1944/45, 1945/46, 1947/48, 1958/59, 1959/60, 1962/63, 1973/74, 1977/78, 1979/80, 1983/84, 1989/90, 1991/92, 1996/97, 1997/98, 1998/99, 2000/01, 2007/2008
- * as Valletta United
- Maltese Cup: 11
- 1959/60 1963/64 1974/75 1976/77 1977/78 1990/91 1994/95 1995/96 1996/97 1998/99 2000/01
- 1989/90 1994/95 1996/97 1997/98 1998/99 2000/01
- Löwenbräu Cup: 6
- 1993/94 1994/95 1995/96 1996/97 1997/98 2000/01
- Super 5 Lottery Tournament: 4
- 1992/93 1996/97 1999/00 2000/01 2007/08
- FA Trophy: 11
- 1959/60 1963/64 1974/75 1976/77 1977/78 1990/91 1994/95 1995/96 1996/97 1998/99 2000/01
- Centenary Cup: 1
- 2000
- MFA Malta Cup: 1
- 1943/44
- Cassar Cup: 4
- 1943/44 1958/59 1965/66 1967/68
- Cousis Shield: 2
- 1914/15* 1920/21*
- * as Valletta United
- Coronation Cup: 1
- 1953/54
- Scicluna Cup: 2
- 1960/61 1963/64
- Sons of Malta Cup: 2
- 1974/75 1978/79
- Independence Cup: 3
- 1974/75 1979/80 1980/81
- Testaferata Cup: 1
- 1979/80
- Euro Cup: 3
- 1983/83 1987/88 1989/90
- Division 2 Champions: 1
- 1939/40 *
- * as Valletta Prestons
- BetFair Cup (Exhibition Match) : 1
- 2008
Players
Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Technical staff
- Coach: Ton Caanen
- Assistant Coach: Anton Cremona
- Team Manager: Nicky Saliba
- Technical Staff: Jason Galea Lucas
- Club Doctor: Dr. Pierre Sammut
- Physiotherapist: Ronald Attard
- Kit Manager: Anthony Caruana
Transfers for 2008/09
In
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Unknown if transferred or loaned
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
| Season | Competition | Round | Country | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964-65 | UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | 1. Round | 
|
Real Zaragoza | 0-3 | 1-5 | 1-8 |
| 1975-76 | UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | 1. Round | 
|
Haladás VSE | 1-1 | 0-7 | 1-8 |
| 1977-78 | UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | 1. Round | 
|
FC Dynamo Moscow | 0-2 | 0-5 | 0-7 |
| 1983-84 | UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | 1. Round | 
|
Rangers F.C. | 0-8 | 0-10 | 0-18 |
| 1991-92 | UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | 1. Round | 
|
Porto FC | 0-3 | 0-1 | 0-4 |
| 1995-96 | UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | Qualifying Round | 
|
FK Inter Bratislava | 0-0 | 2-5 | 2-5 |
| 1996-97 | UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | Qualifying Round | 
|
FC Gloria Bistriţa | 1-2 | 1-2 | 2-4 |
UEFA Intertoto Cup
| Season | Competition | Round | Country | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | UEFA Intertoto Cup | 1. Round | 
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KS Teuta Durrës | 1-2 | 0-0 | 1-2 |
| 2005 | UEFA Intertoto Cup | 1. Round | 
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FK Budućnost Podgorica | 0-5 | 2-2 | 2-7 |
UEFA Cup
| Season | Competition | Round | Country | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972-73 | UEFA Cup | 1. Round | 
|
Internazionale FC | 0-1 | 1-6 | 1-7 |
| 1979-80 | UEFA Cup | 1. Round | 
|
Leeds United | 0-4 | 0-3 | 0-7 |
| 1987-88 | UEFA Cup | 1. Round |
|
Juventus FC | 0-4 | 0-3 | 0-7 |
| 1989-90 | UEFA Cup | 1. Round | 
|
First Vienna FC | 1-4 | 0-3 | 1-7 |
| 1993-94 | UEFA Cup | 1. Round | 
|
Trabzonspor | 1-3 | 1-3 | 2-6 |
| 1994-95 | UEFA Cup | Preliminary Round |
|
Rapid Bucureşti | 2-6 | 1-1 | 3-7 |
| 2000-01 | UEFA Cup | 1. Qualifying Round | 
|
NK Rijeka | 4-5 | 2-3 | 6-8(aet) |
| 2003-04 | UEFA Cup | 1. Qualifying Round | 
|
Neuchâtel Xamax | 0-2 | 0-2 | 0-4 |
UEFA Champions League
| Season | Competition | Round | Country | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963-64 | European Cup | Preliminary Round | 
|
Dukla Prague | 0-2 | 0-6 | 0-8 |
| 1974-75 | European Cup | 1. Round | 
|
HJK Helsinki | 1-0 | 1-4 | 2-4 |
| 1978-79 | European Cup | 1. Round |
|
Grasshoppers FC | 3-5 | 0-8 | 3-13 |
| 1980-81 | European Cup | Preliminary Round |
|
Budapest Honvéd FC | 0-3 | 0-8 | 0-11 |
| 1984-85 | European Cup | 1. Round |
|
FK Austria Wien | 0-4 | 0-4 | 0-8 |
| 1990-91 | European Cup | 1. Round |
|
Glasgow Rangers | 0-4 | 0-6 | 0-10 |
| 1992-93 | UEFA Champions League | Preliminary Round | 
|
Maccabi Tel Aviv | 1-2 | 0-1 | 1-3 |
| 1997-98 | UEFA Champions League | 1. Qualifying Round | 
|
Skonto Riga | 1-0 | 0-2 | 1-2 |
| 1998-99 | UEFA Champions League | 1. Qualifying Round | 
|
Anorthosis Famagusta | 0-2 | 0-6 | 0-8 |
| 1999-00 | UEFA Champions League | 1. Qualifying Round | 
|
Barry Town | 3-2 | 0-0 | 3-2 |
| 2. Qualifying Round |
|
SK Rapid Wien | 0-2 | 0-3 | 0-5 | ||
| 2001-02 | UEFA Champions League | 1. Qualifying Round |
|
FC Haka | 0-0 | 0-5 | 0-5 |
| 2008-09 | UEFA Champions League | 1. Qualifying Round |
|
FC Artmedia Petržalka | 0-2 | 0-1 | 0-3 |
Notable former and current players
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External links
- Valletta FC Official website
- Valletta FC Nursery Official website
- Valletta FC Fanzine
- White Warriors - Valletta Ultras
- Valletta Supporters Forum - V-Blood
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- Articles with peacock terms from October 2008
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- Maltese football clubs
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