Organising body | Malta Football Association |
---|---|
Founded | 1933 |
Region | Malta |
Number of teams | 67 |
Qualifier for | UEFA Conference League |
Domestic cup(s) | Maltese Super Cup |
Current champions | Sliema Wanderers (22nd title) |
Most successful club(s) | Sliema Wanderers (22nd title) |
Television broadcasters | TVMSports+ (live matches) |
Website | matchcentre.mfa.com.mt |
2024–25 Maltese FA Trophy |
The FA Trophy, currently known as the Meridianbet FA Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual football cup competition that takes place in Malta. The cup was founded in 1933; following a match between England and Italy, played in Rome in May 1933, to where a number of pro-British Maltese supporters travelled to support the English side. The Football Association as recognition donated a silver trophy to be played on the model of the FA Cup.
The team who wins the cup wins a place in the First qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League. This competition is now played on a knock-out basis between all the senior clubs in the Maltese and Gozitan football pyramids. The cup winners play a match for the Maltese Super Cup against the league champions of the season.
The ten teams from the First Division and the teams which placed from 4th to the 10th position in the previous season's league, participate in the first round. The cup holders and the top 3 teams are seeded. The eight winning teams play again in the second round, after which, four teams remain. The top three teams in the previous' year league and the cup holders enter straight in the quarter-final phase, together with the other four winning teams.
Starting with the 2009–10 competition, the reigning champions of the Gozo First Division will also be entered into the competition. This will be the case unless Gozo FC, a club based on Gozo but which plays in the Maltese leagues, are playing in either the Maltese Premier League or Maltese First Division and would take the place of the Gozo champion.
On 13 January 2011, the Malta Football Association decided to restructure the format of the trophy as from season 2011–12. Following the success of the MFA League Anniversary Cup, where the then 21 teams of the Maltese four-tiered system participated in the competition, the MFA decided to include all the clubs of Maltese leagues, together with the clubs from the Gozo First Division and the Gozo Second Division. The Gozitan clubs and those from the Maltese Third Division would take part in the First Round, joined by the Maltese Second Division and Maltese First Division clubs in the Second Round, and joined by the Maltese Premier League clubs in a Third Round, where the first six teams of the previous season and the Trophy holder would be seeded. The competition remains on a knock-out basis. [1]
On 21 May 2016, the old silver trophy has been replaced by a new one, partially paid by the English FA. The new trophy has been presented right before the match between England and Malta for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. [2] The new Trophy will be 65 cm in height, and 7 kilogrammes in weight, six of which are solid silver. The trophy will be produced with the traditional methods of silversmithing, by hand. The new Trophy will carry forward the main features of the current FA Trophy, with the player holding the ball aloft being the top part on a silver pedestal, also featured on the current trophy, containing the exact wording which symbolises the bond between the English FA and the Malta FA, the globe and the base will remain identical, with the effigy of the football match found on the current trophy also retaining its place. [3] The new trophy has been designed in the shape of the old Cassar Cup, which was another historical competition of the MFA in which the best two British service teams used to play against the two best Maltese teams for the cup. Veterans recall the passion of these matches with the Maltese football aficionados all rooting for the Maltese teams against the British ones.
Since this new restructuring of the competition in the 2011–12 season, already a major resemblance to the English F.A. Cup is evident as a lot of giant-killings have already taken place. The best story so far has been that of S.K. Victoria Wanderers F.C. reaching the semi-finals of the 2016-17 edition, [4] as they became the first Gozitan club has reached in this competition.
Both the 2019–20 and the 2020–21 seasons of the trophy has been declared abandoned by the MFA due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. [5] [6]
Club | Wins | First final won | Last final won | Runners-up | Last final lost | Total final appearances |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sliema Wanderers | 22 | 1935 | 2024 | 21 | 2017 | 43 |
Floriana | 21 | 1938 | 2022 | 13 | 2024 | 34 |
Valletta | 14 | 1960 | 2018 | 15 | 2022 | 29 |
Hibernians | 10 | 1962 | 2013 | 11 | 2015 | 21 |
Birkirkara | 6 | 2002 | 2023 | 6 | 2018 | 12 |
Ħamrun Spartans | 6 | 1983 | 1992 | 4 | 2008 | 10 |
Melita | 1 | 1939 | 1939 | 1 | 1940 | 2 |
Żurrieq | 1 | 1985 | 1985 | 2 | 1986 | 3 |
Gżira | 1 | 1973 | 1973 | 0 | 1 | |
Rabat Ajax | 1 | 1986 | 1986 | 1 | 1954 | 2 |
Balzan | 1 | 2019 | 2019 | 1 | 2016 | 2 |
Msida St. Joseph | 0 | 1 | 2005 | 1 | ||
Marsaxlokk | 0 | 2 | 2023 | 2 | ||
Senglea Athletic | 0 | 1 | 1981 | 1 | ||
St. George's | 0 | 2 | 1950 | 2 | ||
Qormi | 0 | 3 | 2013 | 3 | ||
The Maltese Premier League, known as 360Sports Malta Premier for sponsorship reasons with 360Sports, is the highest level of professional football in Malta. Managed by the Malta Football Association, the Premier League is contested by 12 teams and operates on a promotion and relegation system with the Challenge League. As of June 2022, the Premier League ranks 46th out of 55 members in the UEFA coefficient.
The Gozo Football Association (GFA) is the body that co-ordinates and organises football on the island of Gozo, Malta. Formed in 1936, it organises the Gozo Football League, which is split into two divisions, the First Division and the Second Division. It also organises the G.F.A. Cup, the Independence Cup, the Freedom Day Cup, the BOV Super Cup, the First Division Knock-Out, the Second Division Knock-Out, the Second Division Challenge Cup, the Under-21s League, Under-18 League, and the Under-15s. It also organises the Gozo national football team.
Victoria Hotspurs Football Club is a Maltese football club from the town of Victoria, Gozo, and that as from the 2024–25 season has become the first ever Gozitan club to switch from the Gozo football league system to the Maltese one.
Gozo Football Club was a Maltese football club based on the island of Gozo. Gozo FC was founded in 1987. The club was disbanded following the end of the 2010-2011 season.
The 2009–10 Maltese FA Trophy was the 72nd season since its establishment. It featured 21 teams from the Maltese Premier League, the First Division and the champions of the Gozo First Division. The competition started on 28 October 2009 and ended on 16 May 2010 with the Final from Ta' Qali Stadium. The defending champions were Sliema Wanderers, having won their 20th Maltese Cup last season.
The Maltese football leagues system of association football is made up of a set of leagues organised and controlled by the Malta Football Association. Malta has had a top level football division since 1909; and only the Premier League is considered Professional it continues on today with the current system.
The 2010–11 Maltese FA Trophy was the 73rd season since its establishment. It will feature 21 teams from the Maltese Premier League, the First Division and the champions of the Gozo First Division. The competition began on 10 November 2010 and ended 22 May 2011 with the Final from Ta' Qali Stadium. The defending champions are Valletta, having won their 12th Maltese Cup last season and first since 2001. The winner will qualify to the second qualifying round of the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League.
The 2013–14 Maltese FA Trophy was the 76th season since its establishment. For the second season, the competition included all teams from Malta and Gozo. The competition began on 1 September 2013 and ended on 4 May 2014 with the final in Ta' Qali Stadium. The defending champions were Hibernians, having won their 10th Maltese Cup last season, but were eliminated by Pietà Hotspurs in the fourth round. Valletta were crowned winners after defeating Sliema Wanderers 1–0 in the final, therefore qualifying for the first qualifying round of the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League.
The 2016–17 Maltese FA Trophy was the 79th version of the tournament. This version of the competition began on 3 September 2016 and ended on 20 May 2017. For the first time since 1933 the new Malta Football Association FA Trophy was unveiled. The new trophy, which is partly financed by the English FA, was presented for the first time to the winners.
The 2017–18 Maltese FA Trophy was the 80th version of the football tournament. It was sponsored by Boost Diesel, which was revealed during the draws of the first, second and third round of the Maltese FA Trophy at the Trophies Lounge in Malta Football Association headquarters in Ta' Qali. A total of sixty–four clubs participated in this season's cup competition.
The Gozo representative football team represents the island of Gozo, Malta, in football. It is organised by the Gozo Football Association and its home stadium is the Gozo Stadium.
Giacomo Ratto is an Italian footballer who currently plays for Nilandhoo SC of the Central League Zone in the Maldives. He has played for clubs in many countries, including Panama, Nicaragua, Fiji, Switzerland, Mongolia, Greece, Malta, Iceland and Maldives.
The 2018–19 Maltese FA Trophy was the 81st edition of the football cup competition. A record number of 67 clubs competed in the FA Trophy, with the first round starting on the weekend of 1–2 September 2018 and concluding with the final played on 18 May 2019.
The 2019–20 Maltese FA Trophy was the 82nd edition of the football cup competition.
The 2019–20 Gozo First Division was the 73rd season of the Gozo Football League First Division, the highest division in Gozitan football. The season started on 20 September 2019. Victoria Hotspurs were the defending champions after winning their thirteenth title in the previous season.
The National Amateur Cup is an annual knockout football competition that takes place in Malta.
F.C. Għarb Rangers is a football club from the village of Għarb, on the island of Gozo (Malta). The club was founded in 1968.
The 2022–23 season was the annual competitive association football season in Gozo organised by the Gozo Football Association for 2022–23.
The Gozitan Women's League was the highest division in Gozitan women league football that for a brief stint took place in Gozo, Malta. It was organised by the Gozo Football Association.
The 2024–25 Gozo First Division is the 78th season of the Gozo Football League First Division, the highest division in Gozitan football. The season began on 6 September 2024 and ends in April 2025.