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Valletta F.C.

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Valletta F.C.
File:Vallettafc.jpg
Full nameValletta Football Club
Nickname(s)White Warriors/ Tal-palestina/ lilly Whites
Founded1943 As Valletta F.C
GroundTa' Qali Stadium,
Ta' Qali,
Malta
Capacity18,000
ChairmanVictor Sciriha
CoachJesmond Zerafa
LeagueMaltese Premier League
2010–11Maltese Premier League, 1st
Websitehttp://www.vallettafc.net/

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 21st century, before financial difficulties forced the club into a decline.

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

Early Valletta FC history

There is no clear evidence on when Valletta F.C. started, hence the fact that Valletta possesed two clubs at that era. 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.

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 the 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.

Achievements

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

18 as Valletta FC 2 as Valletta United (1914–15*, 1931–32*)

1959–60 1963–64 1974–75 1976–77 1977–78 1990–91 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1998–99 2000–01 2009–10
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 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
2010/11 2011/12

Current squad

As of 10 February 2012.

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 Malta MLT Yenz Cini
2 DF Malta MLT Jonathan Caruana
3 DF Malta MLT Ian Azzopardi
4 DF Malta MLT Steve Borg
7 FW Malta MLT Gilbert Agius (captain)
10 DF Malta MLT Roderick Briffa
9 FW Malta MLT Michael Mifsud
8 MF Malta MLT Edmond Agius
11 FW Brazil BRA William Barbosa
13 DF Italy ITA Andrea Scozzese
14 MF Burkina Faso BFA Ousseni Zongo
No. Pos. Nation Player
17 FW Latvia LVA Aleksandrs Čekulajevs
18 DF Burkina Faso BFA Saïdou Panandétiguiri
19 MF Brazil BRA Denni
20 MF Malta MLT Roderick Bajada
21 FW Nigeria NGA Alfred Effiong
23 MF Argentina ARG Nahuel Pulitano Jimenez
24 GK Malta MLT Andrew Hogg
29 GK England ENG Matthew Towns
— MF Slovenia SVN Miha Robic
99 FW Malta MLT Terence Scerri

Club Officials and Coaching Staff

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup

Season Competition Round Country Club Home Away Aggregate
1964–65 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1. Round Spain Real Zaragoza 0–3 1–5 1–8
1975–76 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1. Round Hungary Haladás VSE 1–1 0–7 1–8
1977–78 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1. Round Soviet Union FC Dynamo Moscow 0–2 0–5 0–7
1983–84 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1. Round Scotland Rangers F.C. 0–8 0–10 0–18
1991–92 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1. Round Portugal Porto FC 0–3 0–1 0–4
1995–96 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Qualifying Round Slovakia FK Inter Bratislava 0–0 2–5 2–5
1996–97 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Qualifying Round Romania 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 Albania KS Teuta Durrës 1–2 0–0 1–2
2005 UEFA Intertoto Cup 1. Round Montenegro 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 Italy Internazionale FC 0–1 1–6 1–7
1979–80 UEFA Cup 1. Round England Leeds United 0–4 0–3 0–7
1987–88 UEFA Cup 1. Round Italy Juventus FC 0–4 0–3 0–7
1989–90 UEFA Cup 1. Round Austria First Vienna FC 1–4 0–3 1–7
1993–94 UEFA Cup 1. Round Turkey Trabzonspor 1–3 1–3 2–6
1994–95 UEFA Cup Preliminary Round Romania Rapid Bucureşti 2–6 1–1 3–7
2000–01 UEFA Cup 1. Qualifying Round Croatia NK Rijeka 4–5 2–3 6–8(aet)
2003–04 UEFA Cup 1. Qualifying Round Switzerland Neuchâtel Xamax 0–2 0–2 0–4
2009–10 UEFA Europa League 1. Qualifying round Iceland Keflavík 3–0 2–2 5–2
2. Qualifying round Republic of Ireland St Patrick's Athletic 0–1 1–1 1–2
2010–11 UEFA Europa League 2. Qualifying round Poland 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 Czechoslovakia Dukla Prague 0–2 0–6 0–8
1974–75 European Cup 1. Round Finland HJK Helsinki 1–0 1–4 2–4
1978–79 European Cup 1. Round Switzerland Grasshopper 3–5 0–8 3–13
1980–81 European Cup Preliminary Round Hungary Budapest Honvéd 0–3 0–8 0–11
1984–85 European Cup 1. Round Austria Austria Wien 0–4 0–4 0–8
1990–91 European Cup 1. Round Scotland Rangers 0–4 0–6 0–10
1992–93 UEFA Champions League Preliminary Round Israel Maccabi Tel Aviv 1–2 0–1 1–3
1997–98 UEFA Champions League 1. Qualifying Round Latvia Skonto Riga 1–0 0–2 1–2
1998–99 UEFA Champions League 1. Qualifying Round Cyprus Anorthosis Famagusta 0–2 0–6 0–8
1999–00 UEFA Champions League 1. Qualifying Round Wales Barry Town 3–2 0–0 3–2
2. Qualifying Round Austria Rapid Vienna 0–2 0–3 0–5
2001–02 UEFA Champions League 1. Qualifying Round Finland Haka 0–0 0–5 0–5
2008–09 UEFA Champions League 1. Qualifying Round Slovakia Artmedia 0–2 0–1 0–3
2011–12 UEFA Champions League 1. Qualifying Round San Marino Tre Fiori 2–1 3–0 5–1
2. Qualifying Round Lithuania Ekranas 2–3 0-1 2-4

Notable former and current players

Managers

References

  1. ^ http://www.vallettafc.net/history/valletta-history/the-coaches.html

Template:UEFA Champions League

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