Maltese Futsal League

Last updated
Maltese Futsal League
Founded2011
Country Malta
Confederation UEFA
Number of teams12
Level on pyramid1
Domestic cup(s) Maltese Futsal Knockout Cup
International cup(s) UEFA Futsal Cup
Current champions Valletta Futsal Club
(2017-18)
Most championships Excess RP Bidnija (3 titles)
Website Futsal Malta Association
Current: 2018–19 Maltese Futsal League

The Maltese Futsal League, (Maltese : il-Lig tal-Futsal Malti), formerly the Gatorade League but now known as the Enemed Futsal League for sponsorship reasons, is the official futsal league in Malta and was founded in 2011. The Maltese futsal championship currently consists of 14 teams. It is organised by the Futsal Malta Association and the Malta Football Association. Prior to a decrease in teams, the league used to be known as the Maltese Futsal Premier Division, which was the highest tier, with a promotion and relegation system tied to the Maltese Futsal First Division.

Contents

The league is played entirely in the Corradino Sports Pavilion. [1]

History

First 'official' five-a-side tournaments were held at Athleta Sliema till 1997. Futsal has been officially played since 1998. [2] The league started in 1999 when three University students, who had organized the unofficial Dr. Stanley's Workshop five-a-side league, contacted the Malta FA. [3] Laboratoires Alta Care were the first well-documented league winner of any Maltese futsal championship. The club won two titles in a row, for the season 2000-01 and 2001-02. [4]

The league was created in 2011. The highest peak saw 4 divisions with over 70 teams. Teams started decreasing when the Futsal Malta Association made requirements more stringent to make the league more professional.

Eventually, with a further decrease in teams, only one division was necessary, which became known as the Maltese Futsal League, as of the 2015–2016 season.

Champions

Key
†League champions also won the Maltese Futsal Knockout Cup, i.e. they completed the domestic Double.
SeasonChampions (titles)Runners-upLeague winnerTop league scorer
Player (Club)Nat.Goals
1999-00 (1st)Ace Of Clubs
2000-01 (2nd) Laboratoires Alta Care (1)
2001-02 (3rd) Laboratoires Alta Care (2)
2002–03 (4th) Air Malta Cabine Crew (1) Alta Care Swing Kids (group A)

King of Shaves (gr. B)

2003–04 (5th) RBSM (1) El Mundos El Mundos (group A)

RBSM (group B)

2004–05 (6th) Serbia (1) Hibernians Serbia (Group A)

Hibernians (Group B)

2005–06 (7th) Hibernians (1) Serbia Hibernians (Group A)

Serbia (Group B)

2006–07 (8th)Jeepers Handyman Centre (1) † European Pilot Academy Jeepers Handyman Centre (Group A)

European Pilot Academy (Group B)

2007–08 (9th) Scandals (1) † European Pilot Academy Aluserv
2008-09 (10th) White Eagles (1)Jeepers Handyman Centre Naxxar Motors
2009-10 (11th) ZC Excess (1) † Naxxar Motors Naxxar Motors
2010-11 (12th) ZC Excess (2) Paola Downtown ZC Excess Jovica Milijić (Paola Downtown)Flag of Serbia.svg  SRB 42
2011–12 (13th) Excess RP Bidnija (3) † Naxxar Motors Excess RP Bidnija
2012–13 (14th) Hibernians (2) Balzan Balzan
2013–14 (15th) Balzan (1) Hibernians Hibernians Tyron Borg (Zurieq)Flag of Malta.svg  MLT 47+
2014–15 (16th) Luxol (1) † Balzan Luxol William da Silva Barbosa (Luxol)Flag of Brazil.svg  BRA
2015–16 (17th) Valletta (1) †
2016–17 (18th) Luxol (2) † Raphael Felipe Ortiz de Oliveira (Valletta)Flag of Brazil.svg  BRA 75
2017–18 (19th) Valletta (2) Luxol Luxol
2018–19 (20th) Luxol (3) † Valletta
2019–20 (21st)season declared null and void due to Covid-19 pandemic
2020–21 (22nd)

Performance by club

ClubChampionsRunners-upThird place

2016–2017 season

In the 2016–17 season, the FMA reopened to independent teams not part of a football club from within the Maltese football league system.

Format

There are 14 teams which shall play each other once. After this round, the teams split into the top 6 teams, known as the Elite pool, and the remainder play in the Division One pool. The Elite teams play each other once again and the first 4 after this round, enter a knockout playoff stage. The winner of the playoff stage enters the UEFA Futsal League cup.

Teams

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References

  1. ↑ "Malta Futsal Association – SPORT MALTA". www.sportmalta.org.mt.
  2. ↑ "A Closer Look at..Joseph Karl Aquilina (President – Luxol St Andrews)". timesofmalta.com. Retrieved 2018-04-11.
  3. ↑ "Futsal on a sound basis". timesofmalta.com. Retrieved 2018-04-11.
  4. ↑ "Futsal". timesofmalta.com. Retrieved 2018-04-11.
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