Sliema Wanderers F.C.

Sliema Wanderers

Full name	Sliema Wanderers Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Blues The Wanderers
Founded	3 November 1909;114 years ago (1909-11-03)
Ground	Tigne Sports Complex, Sliema, Malta
Capacity	1,000
Chairman	Keith Perry
Manager	Paul Zammit
League	Maltese Premier League
2022–23	Maltese Challenge League, 1st of 18 (promoted)
Home colours Away colours

Sliema Wanderers Football Club, nicknamed "tax-Xelin" (of the shilling), ^[1] is a professional Maltese football club. ^[2] It is the most successful team in Malta and hails from the seaside town of Sliema. It currently plays in the Maltese Premier League.

History

The club was founded in 1909. The club competed in the first ever Maltese Premier League season in 1909–10 and finished in second position to Floriana after the five-game season came to an end.

Ten years down the line Sliema Wanderers finally made their mark in Maltese football by winning the Maltese Premier League title in the 1919–20 season. Since then the team have gone on to win the title 26 times, a record for Malta; the last three being in 2002–03, 2003–04 and 2004–05.

Sliema Wanderers also hold the record for the most FA Trophy wins, with their first coming in 1935, when they overpowered Floriana with a 4–0 victory. The club have gone on to win this particular honour 20 times, most recently in 2000, 2004 and in 2009; the last title was won against Valletta 7–6 on penalties after the match finished 3–3 following extra time.

With all these honours, Sliema Wanderers are currently the most successful team in the history of Maltese football with approximately 113 honours. Sliema Wanderers train at the Tigne Sports Complex, in Sliema. Grant Tissot almost played for them, which would've been a major acquisition for such a club.

Sliema Wanderers also had a futsal team, which participated in Malta's top futsal league.

2000s

The 2000s saw Sliema Wanderers becoming a dominant club in the Maltese scene again.

Summer 2003 had President Robert Arrigo signing Maltese internationals Jamie Pace, Djibril Sylla and Daniel Bogdanovic. ^[3]

Season 2004-05 saw the Wanderers, under the presidency of Robert Arrigo, win their 26th Maltese Premier League title. ^[4] Part of this success was Michael Mifsud's return to his boyhood club after being leaving 1.FC Kaiserslautern on a free. ^[5]

Season 2005-06 started with a UEFA Champions League qualifier against Sheriff Tiraspol. ^[6] Much to Arrigo's chagrin, lost Michael Mifsud to Lillestrøm SK, in a move made possible by Nikki Dimech who acted as his representative, albeit being a lengthy transfer saga that was complicated by International Transfer Clearance issues and compensation fees. ^{[4] [7] [8]}

2010s

Sliema Wanderers clinched a Maltese FA Trophy in season 2015-16.

Keith Perry was confirmed as president in the beginning of season 2016-17 despite rumours. ^[9] John Buttigieg was appointed as Head Coach. ^[10]

2020s

The club endured a rough start to the 2020s. The club started off with a bang, signing former Arsenal F.C. midfielder Denílson. ^{[11] [12] [13] [14] [15]} Further players were signed and Keith Perry was appointed chairman of the club, and Jeffrey Farrugia took over as president. ^{[16] [17]} A sponsorship deal was struck with Catco Group, an oil investment company based in China and Tunisia. Catco Group however, failed to pay its dues, citing technical reasons. This gave way to unrest within the club, with captain Mark Scerri and head coach Andrea Pisanu making public statements regarding the financial situation of the club, proceeding with resignations such as Perry and team manager Alex Muscat. ^{[18] [19]} Players went unpaid for months, with another sponsor, Sixt, finally paying the players directly just before Christmas. ^[20] Eventually a new sponsor was brought on board. ^{[21] [22]} Farrugia was later ousted as Keith Perry returned in the President's seat in preparation for the upcoming season. ^[23]

Season 2021-22 was disastrous from a technical point of view. Despite signing two new players in Djibouti international Warsama Hassan and Japanese Yuki Uchida, ^[24] up until November 19, 2021, the club had not yet won a match, and sat at the bottom of the Maltese Premier League. ^{[25] [26] [27]} The first win came on November 20, stunning Valletta with a 2–1 result. ^[28] The dying minutes of the match however, proved fatal, as Warsama Hassan was introduced at 90 minutes. However, the player had just returned from Egypt, where he had featured for his Djibouti national football team in a match against Algeria. Warsama was supposed to be in quarantine, having returned from a Dark Red listed country. Valletta lodged a formal complaint, which was upheld by the Malta Football Association, awarding a 3–0 win to Valletta. ^[29] Sliema Wanderers' next match was against Birkirkara F.C., resulting in a further loss. ^[30] On 10 April 2022 Sliema Wanderers lost against Valletta with a 2–1 result, and were relegated to Maltese Challenge League after thirty-seven years in the top flight.

Players

Current squad

As of 1 March 2024.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 Timothy Aquilina 2 DF   MLT Jean Borg 4 DF   MLT Miguel D'Alessandro 5 DF   MLT James Vella 6 MF   CMR Joseph Minala 7 MF   MLT Jake Engerer 8 MF   MLT Mark Scerri 9 FW   SVN Vito Plut 10 FW   BRA Samuel Gomes 11 DF   MLT Myles Beerman 12 GK   NGA Emeka Agu 13 MF   GHA James Arthur

No. Pos. Nation Player 15 DF   BRA Gustavo Alcino 18 MF   MLT Edmond Agius 19 FW   UKR Danylo Kondrakov 20 DF   CIV Denis Kouao 21 MF   MLT Neil Frendo 22 GK   MLT Rashed Al-Tumi 25 MF   LBR Joachim Adukor 31 DF   BRA Murilo Freire 33 FW   GHA Geoffrey Acheampong 70 FW   MLT Lydon Micallef 77 MF   SOM Mohamed Awad

Out on loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF   MLT Jean Borg(at Sirens until 30 June 2024) — MF   MLT Brite Anayochi Ihuomah(at Zurrieq until 30 June 2024)

No. Pos. Nation Player — FW   MLT Jean Paul Farrugia (at Mosta until 30 June 2024)

European record

Season	Competition	Round	Country	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate
1963–64	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup	Preliminary Round		Borough United	0–0	0–2	0–2
1964–65	European Cup	Preliminary Round		Dinamo București	0–2	0–5	0–7
1965–66	European Cup	Preliminary Round		Panathinaikos	1–0	1–4	2–4
1966–67	European Cup	Preliminary Round		CSKA Sofia	1–2	0–4	1–6
1968–69	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup	1. Round		US Rumelange	1–0	1–2	2–2(a)
		2. Round		Randers Freja	0–2	0–6	0–8
1969–70	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup	1. Round		IFK Norrköping	1–0	1–5	2–5
1970–71	Inter-Cities Fairs Cup	1. Round		Akademisk BK	2–3	0–7	2–10
1971–72	European Cup	1. Round		ÍA Akranes	0–0	4–0	4–0
		2. Round		Celtic	1–2	0–5	1–7
1972–73	European Cup	1. Round		Górnik Zabrze	0–5	0–5	0–10
1973–74	UEFA Cup	1. Round		Lokomotiv Plovdiv	0–2	0–1	0–3
1974–75	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup	1. Round		Lahti	2–0	1–4	3–4
1975–76	UEFA Cup	1. Round		Sporting CP	1–2	1–3	2–5
1976–77	European Cup	1. Round		TPS Turku	2–1	0–1	2–2(a)
1977–78	UEFA Cup	1. Round		Eintracht Frankfurt	0–0	0–5	0–5
1979–80	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup	1. Round		Boavista	2–1	0–8	2–9
1980–81	UEFA Cup	1. Round		Barcelona	0–2	0–1	0–3
1981–82	UEFA Cup	1. Round		Aris Thessaloniki	2–4	0–4	2–8
1982–83	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup	1. Round		Swansea City	0–5	0–12	0–17
1987–88	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup	1. Round		Vllaznia Shkodër	0–4	0–2	0–6
1988–89	UEFA Cup	1. Round		Victoria București	0–2	1–6	1–8
1989–90	European Cup	1. Round		KF Tirana	1–0	0–5	1–5
1990–91	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup	1. Round		Dukla Prague	1–2	0–2	1–4
1993–94	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup	Qualifying Round		Degerfors	1–3	0–3	1–6
1995–96	UEFA Cup	Preliminary Round		AC Omonia	1–2	0–3	1–5
1996–97	UEFA Cup	Preliminary Round		Margveti Zestafoni	1–3	3–0	4–3
		Qualifying Round		Odense BK	0–2	1–7	1–9
1998	UEFA Intertoto Cup	1. Round		Diósgyőr	2–3	0–2	2–5
1999–00	UEFA Cup	1. Qualifying Round		FC Zürich	0–3	0–1	0–4
2000–01	UEFA Cup	1. Qualifying Round		FK Partizan	2–1	1–4	3–5
2001–02	UEFA Cup	1. Qualifying Round		Matador Púchov	2–1	0–3	2–4
2002–03	UEFA Cup	1. Qualifying Round		Polonia Warsaw	1–3	0–2	1–5
2003–04	UEFA Champions League	1. Qualifying Round		Skonto Riga	2–0	1–3	3–3(a)
		2. Qualifying Round		Copenhagen	0–6	1–4	1–10
2004–05	UEFA Champions League	1. Qualifying Round		FBK Kaunas	0–2	1–4	1–6
2005–06	UEFA Champions League	1. Qualifying Round		Sheriff Tiraspol	1–4	0–2	1–6
2006–07	UEFA Cup	1. Qualifying Round		Rapid București	0–1	0–5	0–6
2007–08	UEFA Cup	1. Qualifying Round		Litex Lovech	0–3	0–4	0–7
2009–10	UEFA Europa League	2. Qualifying Round		Maccabi Netanya	0–0	0–3	0–3
2010–11	UEFA Europa League	1. Qualifying Round		Šibenik	0–3	0–0	0–3
2013–14	UEFA Europa League	1. Qualifying Round		Khazar Lankaran	1–1	0–1	1–2
2014–15	UEFA Europa League	1. Qualifying Round		Ferencváros	1–1	1–2	2–3

Managerial history

See Sliema Wanderers F.C. Managers

Manager	Period
Salvinu Schembri	1963–1964
János Bédl	1 July 1964 – 30 June 1966
Victor Scerri	1968–1978
Edward Aquilina	1979–1983
Robbie Buttigieg	1981–1982
Tony Formosa	1982–1986
Lawrence Borg	1987–1989
Augustine Eguavoen	July 1999 – October 1999
Martin Gregory	1999–2000
Jeff Wood	2001–2002
Lawrence Borg	2001–2002
Edward Aquilina	2002–2006
Ray Farrugia	2006–2007
Stephen Azzopardi	1 November 2007 – 30 May 2010
Mark Marlow	1 July 2010 – 30 June 2011
Danilo Dončić	3 February 2011 – 27 May 2012
Clive Mizzi	27 May 2012 – 7 August 2012
Alfonso Greco	1 July 2012 – October 2014
Stephen Azzopardi	October 2014 – December 2015
Alfonso Greco	1 January 2016 – May 2016
John Buttigieg	June 2016 – 2019

Honours

• Maltese Premier League
  • Champions: 26 1919–20, 1922–23, 1923–24, 1925–26, 1929–30, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1935–36, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1939–40, 1948–49, 1953–54, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1975–76, 1988–89, 1995–96, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05
• Maltese FA Trophy
  • Winners (21): 1934–35, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1939–40, 1945–46, 1947–48, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1955–56, 1958–59, 1962–63, 1964–65, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1973–74, 1978–79, 1989–90, 1999–2000, 2003–04, 2008–09, 2015–16
• Maltese Challenge League
  • Winners: 1983–84, 2022–23
• Maltese Super Cup Champions
  • Winners: 1996, 2000, 2009

References

1. Cassar Pullicino, J. (1956). "Social Aspects of Maltese Nicknames" (PDF). Scientia . 22 (2): 92.
2. Micallef, Sandro (29 January 2016). "LaLiga: the best show in Malta". Liga de Fútbol Profesional . Archived from the original on 16 July 2019.
3. Azzopardi, Kevin (3 July 2003). "Bogdanovic is a Sliema player says Arrigo". Times of Malta.
4. "Making Sliema the most successful team was my primary aim – Robert Arrigo". The Malta Independent . 4 May 2005.
5. "Mifsud heads back to Malta". UEFA.com. 21 November 2003.
6. "Sheriff challenge for Sliema Wanderers". Times of Malta. 24 June 2005.
7. Dalli, Jesmond (2 July 2004). "Mifsud returning home as Sliema stand firm over clearance issue". Times of Malta.
8. "Mifsud set to leave Sliema for Norway's Lillestrom". Times of Malta. 19 June 2004.
9. "Keith Perry stays at the helm of Sliema Wanderers". Times of Malta. 8 June 2016.
10. Azzopardi, Kevin (1 July 2016). "John Buttigieg 'honoured' to coach Sliema". Times of Malta.
11. Camilleri, Valhmor (6 August 2020). "Sliema Wanderers sign former Arsenal midfielder Denilson". SportsDesk.
12. "Once a Gunner, Now a Wanderer: Sliema Sign Denilson". 89.7 Bay . 6 August 2020.
13. "Sliema Wanderers sign former Arsenal midfielder Denilson". The Malta Independent. 7 August 2020.
14. Busuttil, Antoine (7 August 2020). "Denilson joins Sliema Wanderers". MaltaFootball.com.
15. Sapiano, Luigi (6 August 2020). "Qassam Denilson! Former Arsenal Midfielder Set To Join Sliema Wanderers". LovinMalta.com.
16. Attard, Mark (14 August 2020). "Jeffrey Farrugia jinħatar President ta' Sliema Wanderers FC" [Jeffrey Farrugia is appointed President of Sliema Wanderers FC]. Television Malta (in Maltese).
17. Busuttil, Antoine (14 August 2020). "Sliema Wanderers sign four new players, appoint new president". MaltaFootball.com.
18. Azzopardi, Karl (27 January 2021). "Sliema Wanderers official Keith Perry steps down amid player row over unpaid salaries". Malta Today .
19. Lia, Gianluca (4 February 2021). "Watch: Sliema players battled poverty due to unpaid wages, says coach Pisanu -". SportsDesk.
20. Borg, Jacob (3 January 2021). "Adrian Delia aims to set up charity foundation after sensational donation pledge". Times of Malta.
21. Busuttil, Antoine (15 February 2021). "NM Group announces Sliema Wanderers sponsorship". MaltaFootball.com.
22. Brincat, Diane (16 February 2021). "NM Group announces Sliema Wanderers F.C. Sponsorship". NM Group.
23. Camilleri, Valhmor (13 May 2021). "Keith Perry tipped for return as Sliema Wanderers plan to hold AGM next month". SportsDesk.
24. Busuttil, Antoine (6 August 2021). "Sliema Wanderers sign two new foreign players". MaltaFootball.com.
25. Busuttil, Antoine (31 October 2021). "Sliema Wanderers pile up further misery with Mosta defeat". SportsDesk.
26. Busuttil, Antoine (24 October 2021). "Santa Lucia held by ten-man Sliema". MaltaFootball.com.
27. Lia, Gianluca (17 October 2021). "Watch: Hibernians go top after brushing aside Sliema Wanderers". SportsDesk.
28. Farrugia, Simon (20 November 2021). "Premier League: Sliema finally register first win". The Malta Independent.
29. Camilleri, Valhmor (26 November 2021). "Valletta awarded win over Sliema Wanderers as protest upheld by Malta FA". SportsDesk.
30. Busuttil, Antoine (27 November 2021). "Watch: Montebello double lifts Birkirkara past struggling Sliema Wanderers". SportsDesk.

External links

• Official website
• "Sliema Wanderers FC". MaltaFootball. Archived from the original on 7 November 2007.
• "Sliema Wanderers FC". SoccerWay.
• "Kerlon Foquinha assina com Villa Nova-MG para a disputa do Mineiro". GloboEsporte (in Portuguese). 6 January 2016.