Valletta FC

Valletta Football Club is a Maltese football club based in Valletta, the capital city of Malta. Valletta F.C. has the strongest support on the island. Valletta achieved a lot of success in the 1990s, and were the dominant force around the turn of the century, before financial difficulties forced the club into a decline.

Valletta Football Club was founded in 1943, as a merger of Valletta Pestons, Valletta St. Paul's and the extinct Valletta United which had won two league championships before World War II.

Early history

Football in Malta 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 league 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.

Although Sliema and Floriana dominated the local scene in those times, by winning these trophies 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, 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 from the city 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.

The winning of five cups in one season

In 1996–97 Valletta F.C. won all 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 – 2000–01 – Six cups in one season

In the season 2000–01, Valletta F.C. succeeded in breaking their own record from 1996–97. This time they won the six competitions offered by the M.F.A. This particular season there was an additional one, namely the Centenary Cup. It 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.

2007–08: Champions again

The hope of the first trophy in 7 years was a huge thought running through Valletta fans in the summer of 2007. 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 Spartans 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 the most consistent side.

Valletta skipper Frankie Zammit (second from right) prior to a 1963–64 European Cup match against Dukla Prague at the Juliska Stadium.

Achievements

• Maltese Premier League: 20

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, 2007–08, 2010–11

* as Valletta United

• Maltese Cup: 12

1959–60 1963–64 1974–75 1976–77 1977–78 1990–91 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1998–99 2000–01 2009–10

• MFA Super Cup: 8

1989–90 1994–95 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 2000–01 2007–08 2010–11

• Löwenbräu Cup: 6

1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 2000–01

• Super 5 Lottery Tournament: 4

1992–93 1996–97 1999–2000 2000–01 2007–08

• National League 100 Anniversary Cup: 1

2010

• 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 Street Cup: 1

1979–80

• Euro Cup: 4

1983–83 1987–88 1989–90 2011–12

• Olympic Cup: 1

1962–63

• Melita Cup: 1

1911

• Rangers Cup: 1

1914

• Poppy Day Fund Cup: 1

1960–61

• BetFair Cup (vs. Juventus) : 1

2008

• Mare Blue Cup 2

2010 2011

Players

Current squad

As of 28 June 2011. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
1	GK	MLT	Yenz Cini
2	DF	MLT	Jonathan Caruana
3	DF	MLT	Ian Azzopardi
4	DF	MLT	Steve Borg
5	DF	BRA	Ramón
6	MF	MLT	Ryan Fenech
7	FW	MLT	Gilbert Agius
8	MF	MLT	Edmond Agius
9	FW	MLT	Michael Mifsud
10	DF	MLT	Roderick Briffa
11	FW	BRA	William Barbosa

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
14	MF	BFA	Ousseni Zongo
17	DF	MLT	Kenneth Scicluna
18	MF	MLT	Jamie Pace
19	MF	BRA	Denni
20	MF	MLT	Dyson Falzon
21	FW	NGA	Alfred Effiong
23	MF	MLT	Kevin Sammut
24	GK	MLT	Andrew Hogg
26	MF	MLT	Cleaven Frendo
29	GK	ENG	Matthew Towns
99	FW	MLT	Terence Scerri

Current Starting Line Up

Hogg

Briffa

Caruana

Borg

Azzopardi

Pace

Agius

Aguis

Fenech

Denni

Mifsud

Club Officials and Coaching Staff

• President: Victor Sciriha
• Coach: Jesmond Zerafa
• Assistant Coach: Nardu Farrugia
• Team Manager: Gerard Ellul
• Club Doctor: Dr. Pierre Sammut
• Physiotherapist: Ronald Attard
• Goalkeeper Coach: Rueben Debono
• Kit Manager: Clint Mizzi

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		KS Teuta Durrës	1–2	0–0	1–2
2005	UEFA Intertoto Cup	1. Round		FK Budućnost Podgorica	0–5	2–2	2–7

UEFA Cup/Europa League

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
2009–10	UEFA Europa League	1. Qualifying round		Keflavík	3–0	2–2	5–2
		2. Qualifying round		St Patrick's Athletic	0–1	1–1	1–2
2010–11	UEFA Europa League	2. Qualifying round		Ruch Chorzów	1–1	0–0	1–1

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		Grasshopper	3–5	0–8	3–13
1980–81	European Cup	Preliminary Round		Budapest Honvéd	0–3	0–8	0–11
1984–85	European Cup	1. Round		Austria Wien	0–4	0–4	0–8
1990–91	European Cup	1. Round		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		Rapid Vienna	0–2	0–3	0–5
2001–02	UEFA Champions League	1. Qualifying Round		Haka	0–0	0–5	0–5
2008–09	UEFA Champions League	1. Qualifying Round		Artmedia	0–2	0–1	0–3
2011–12	UEFA Champions League	1. Qualifying Round		Tre Fiori	2–1	3–0	5–1
		2. Qualifying Round		Ekranas	2–3	0–1	2–4

Notable former and current players

• Omar Sebastián Monesterolo
• Paulo Massaro
• Pavel Mraz
• Heiner Backhaus
• Christian Berg
• Thomas Niesen
• Declan O'Brien
• Gilbert Agius
• Edward Azzopardi
• Alfred Borg
• Joseph 'Pesu' Borg
• Vincent Borg Bonaci
• John Buttigieg
• Tony Calleja
• Joseph Camilleri

• Salvinu Carabott
• Paul Carbonaro
• Jeffrey Chetcuti
• Tony Ciantar
• Joseph Cilia
• Reginald Cini
• John Darmanin
• Saviour Darmanin
• Alfred Debono
• Darren Debono
• Emmanuel Farrugia
• Leonard Farrugia
• Dennis Fenech
• Raymond Gauci
• Stefan Giglio

• Jack Grech
• Frank Grima
• Kristian Laferla
• Charlie Mackay
• Vincent 'Maxi' Magro
• Raymond Mifsud
• Branko Nisevic
• Louis Pace
• Nicky Saliba
• Salvinu Schembri
• Raymond Sciberras
• Carlo Seychell
• Charles Spiteri
• Hubert Suda
• Daniel Theuma

• Josie Urpani
• Eddie Vella
• Nenad Veselji
• Charles Williams
• Frankie Zammit
• Ivan Zammit
• Joseph Zammit
• Joseph Zarb
• Jesmond Zerafa
• Jordi Cruyff
• Christopher Oretan
• Frank Temile

References

External links

• Official website Template:En icon
• Valletta FC Nursery Official website
• Valletta Living History - Audio Visual Show