2023-24_Maltese_Premier_League
2023–24 Maltese Premier League
Football league season
The 2023–24 Maltese Premier League was the 109th season of top-flight league football in Malta. The season began on 15 September 2023 and ended in April 2024.
Quick Facts Season, Dates ...
| Season | 2023–24 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 15 September 2023 – 4 May 2024 |
| Champions | Ħamrun Spartans (10th title) |
| Relegated | Gudja United Santa Lucia Sirens Valletta |
| UEFA Champions League | Ħamrun Spartans |
| UEFA Conference League | Floriana Marsaxlokk Sliema Wanderers |
| Matches played | 182 |
| Goals scored | 443 (2.43 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Luke Montebello (21 Goals) |
| Biggest home win | Marsaxlokk 5–1 Naxxar Lions (15 September 2023) Naxxar Lions 4–0 Santa Lucia (1 October 2023) Floriana 4–0 Mosta (13 April 2024) Naxxar Lions 4–0 Valletta (28 April 2023) |
| Biggest away win | Balzan 1–7 Ħamrun Spartans (27 January 2024) Gudja United 0–6 Sliema Wanderers (27 April 2024) |
| Highest scoring | Balzan 1–7 Ħamrun Spartans (27 January 2024) |
| Longest winning run | Ħamrun Spartans (8 matches) |
| Longest unbeaten run | Floriana Ħamrun Spartans (11 matches) |
| Longest winless run | Gudja United (26 matches) |
| Longest losing run | Gudja United (16 matches) |
← 2022–23 2024–25 →
All statistics correct as of 5 May 2024. | |
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The season saw the relegation of Valletta, one of the most historic teams in Maltese football, for the first time in their history.
The league consisted of fourteen teams; the top twelve teams from the previous season, and two teams promoted from the 2022–23 Maltese Challenge League. Ħamrun Spartans entered the season as defending champions.[1] Sliema Wanderers and Naxxar Lions were promoted and returned to the Maltese Premier League after one and five years of absence, respectively. They replaced the 2022–23 Maltese Premier League bottom two teams, Pietà Hotspurs and Żebbuġ Rangers (both relegated after one year in the top flight).
On 13 April 2023, The Malta Football Association announced that four clubs would be relegated to the Maltese Challenge League at the end of the season, as the number of clubs would be reduced to twelve starting from the 2024–25 season. As a result, the Maltese Premier League play-off was scrapped for this season, and this was the last season to consist of fourteen teams.
Location of teams in 2023–24 Maltese Premier League
More information Team, In league since ...
| Team | In league since | City |
|---|---|---|
| Balzan | 2011 | Balzan |
| Birkirkara | 1990 | Birkirkara |
| Floriana | 1986 | Floriana |
| Gudja United | 2019 | Gudja |
| Gżira United | 2016 | Gżira |
| Ħamrun Spartans | 2016 | Ħamrun |
| Hibernians | 1945 | Paola |
| Marsaxlokk | 2022 | Marsaxlokk |
| Mosta | 2011 | Mosta |
| Naxxar Lions | 2023 | Naxxar |
| Santa Lucia | 2019 | Santa Luċija |
| Sliema Wanderers | 2023 | Sliema |
| Sirens | 2019 | St. Paul's Bay |
| Valletta | 1944 | Valletta |
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On 29 April 2024, the Malta Football Association introduced another stadium, Victor Tedesco Stadium due to the final fixture of the season that played four matches at the same time.
More information Ta' Qali, Paola ...
| Ta' Qali | Ta' Qali | Paola | Hamrun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ta' Qali National Stadium | Centenary Stadium | Tony Bezzina Stadium | Victor Tedesco Stadium | |
| Capacity: 16,997 | Capacity: 3,000 | Capacity: 2,968 | Capacity: 1,962 | |
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Personnel and kits
More information Team, Manager ...
| Team | Manager | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor (front) | Shirt sponsor (back) | Shirt sponsor (sleeve) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balzan |  Oliver Spiteri |
Joma | MBI Group | Visit Malta (Bottom) | |
| Birkirkara | Jose Borg |
Nike | McDonald's | Inter Sport (Top) | Visit Malta (Right) |
| Floriana |  Mauro Camoranesi |
Joma | Harmont & Blaine, Greens Supermarket | Go & Fun (Right) | |
| Gudja United | Renzo Kerr-Cumbo |
Macron | Handy Man, SixSevenEight | Apex Group (Top) | Thomas Smith Insurance Broker (Left) |
| Gżira United | Andrew Cohen |
Joma | Finanzi (Top), Recruit Giant (Bottom), Visit Malta (Bottom) | ||
| Ħamrun Spartans | Luciano Zauri |
Puma | J. Portelli | Meridianbet (Bottom), Besteam audio (Bottom) | Ta' Fonzu (Right), Tescoma (Left) |
| Hibernians |  Branko Nišević |
Joma | Bezzina | ||
| Marsaxlokk | Winston Muscat |
Joma | 1padel | Mr. Fitz Restaurant Marsaxlokk (Left) | |
| Mosta | Joseph Grech |
Macron | Teamsport (Bottom) | ||
| Naxxar Lions | George Vella |
Joma | Brown's, sottozero | Zarb Coaches (Top), Badass, McQueen, Sammut Concrete Supplies (Bottom) | Welbee's (Right), Würth, Centerparc (Left) |
| Santa Lucia | Alessandro Zinnari |
Capelli Sport | Multivend, avanza | Elmo (Top), Konica Minolta (Bottom) | Yellow Army (Left), Levissima (Right) |
| Sliema Wanderers | Paul Zammit |
Adidas | NMGroup, Comeon Group, Xace | Daikin, Zarb Coaches (Bottom) | |
| Sirens | Stephen Damato |
Macron | Café del Mar Malta, Welbee's | Arringo (Top), Malta National Aquarium (Bottom) | |
| Valletta |  Juan Cruz Gill (Caretaker) |
Nike | Iniala | Inter Sport (Top) | Toyotomi, Da Mattia (Left), 5 Beans (Right) |
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- Additionally, referee kits are made by Macron
Managerial changes
More information Team, Outgoing manager ...
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure |
Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ħamrun Spartans | Branko Nišević |
Resign | 22 April 2023 | Pre-season | Luciano Zauri |
29 April 2023 |
| Sirens | Winston Muscat |
28 April 2023 | Stephen Damato |
24 May 2023 | ||
| Marsaxlokk | Pablo Doffo |
End of Contract | 6 May 2023 | Winston Muscat |
14 June 2023 | |
| Floriana | Gianluca Atzori |
10 May 2023 | Mauro Camoranesi |
5 June 2023 | ||
| Hibernians | Silvio Vella |
Mutual consent | 1 June 2023 | Branko Nišević |
17 July 2023 | |
| Santa Lucia | Enzo Potenza |
Resign | 21 June 2023 | Alessandro Zinnari |
12 July 2023 | |
| Gudja United | Ludvic Bartolo |
End of Caretaker | 29 July 2023 | Jesmond Zammit |
29 July 2023 | |
| Valletta | Thane Micallef |
Sacked | 2 October 2023 | 8th | Enzo Potenza |
7 October 2023 |
| Birkirkara | Giovanni Tedesco |
Resign | 26 November 2023 | 10th | Brian Chetcuti (Caretaker) |
26 November 2023 |
| Gudja United | Jesmond Zammit |
Sacked | 21 December 2023 | 14th | Renzo Kerr-Cumbo |
27 December 2023 |
| Gżira United | Darren Abdilla |
Resign | 17 January 2024 | 9th | Andrew Cohen |
18 January 2024 |
| Birkirkara | Brian Chetcuti |
End of Caretaker | 5 February 2024 | 7th | Jose Borg |
5 February 2024 |
| Valletta | Enzo Potenza |
Resign | 26 February 2024 | 12th | Juan Cruz Gill (Caretaker) |
26 February 2024 |
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More information Pos, Team ...
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ħamrun Spartans (C) | 26 | 19 | 5 | 2 | 61 | 16 | +45 | 62 | Qualification for the Champions League first qualifying round |
| 2 | Floriana | 26 | 18 | 3 | 5 | 53 | 19 | +34 | 57 | Qualification for the Conference League first qualifying round |
| 3 | Sliema Wanderers | 26 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 34 | 12 | +22 | 50 | Qualification for the Conference League second qualifying round[lower-alpha 1] |
| 4 | Marsaxlokk | 26 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 40 | 23 | +17 | 43 | Qualification for the Conference League first qualifying round |
| 5 | Birkirkara | 26 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 28 | 27 | +1 | 36 | |
| 6 | Naxxar Lions | 26 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 32 | 35 | −3 | 35 | |
| 7 | Hibernians | 26 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 29 | 28 | +1 | 35 | |
| 8 | Balzan | 26 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 26 | 28 | −2 | 34 | |
| 9 | Gżira United | 26 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 38 | 33 | +5 | 33 | |
| 10 | Mosta | 26 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 32 | −13 | 31 | |
| 11 | Santa Lucia (R) | 26 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 25 | 41 | −16 | 30 | Relegation to the Maltese Challenge League |
| 12 | Valletta (R) | 26 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 26 | 31 | −5 | 27 | |
| 13 | Sirens (R) | 26 | 3 | 7 | 16 | 17 | 50 | −33 | 16 | |
| 14 | Gudja United (R) | 26 | 0 | 6 | 20 | 14 | 67 | −53 | 6 |
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Source: Malta Football Association
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Play-offs (only if needed to decide champions, teams for relegation or teams for UEFA competitions).
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Play-offs (only if needed to decide champions, teams for relegation or teams for UEFA competitions).
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- The 2023–24 Maltese FA Trophy also qualified for the Conference League first qualifying round. Since the FA Trophy winners (Sliema Wanderers) qualified based on league position, the Conference League spot was passed to the fourth-placed team.
More information Home \ Away, BAL ...
| Home \ Away | BAL | BIR | FLO | GUD | GŻI | ĦAM | HIB | MAR | MOS | NXR | SLC | SLI | SIR | VAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balzan | — | 0–3 | 0–3 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–7 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 0–0 |
| Birkirkara | 1–1 | — | 1–2 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 |
| Floriana | 2–2 | 2–0 | — | 5–1 | 0–1 | 0–5 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 |
| Gudja United | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | 1–6 | 0–4 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–4 | 0–4 | 0–6 | 1–2 | 0–3 |
| Gżira United | 1–1 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 3–0 | — | 0–1 | 0–4 | 2–4 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 |
| Ħamrun Spartans | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2–1 | — | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 |
| Hibernians | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 1–2 | — | 0–2 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 |
| Marsaxlokk | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | — | 1–2 | 5–1 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 0–1 |
| Mosta | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–3 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 3–2 | — | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 0–0 | 1–0 |
| Naxxar Lions | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–3 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 0–4 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | — | 4–0 | 1–4 | 1–2 | 4–0 |
| Santa Lucia | 0–1 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 0–3 | 1–0 | 1–0 | — | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 |
| Sliema Wanderers | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 3–1 | — | 3–0 | 1–0 |
| Sirens | 1–4 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 2–0 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | — | 0–3 |
| Valletta | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 5–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | — |
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Source: Malta Football Association
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For upcoming matches, an "a" indicates there is an article about the rivalry between the two participants.
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For upcoming matches, an "a" indicates there is an article about the rivalry between the two participants.
Scoring
Top scorers
- As of 28 April 2024[2]
More information Rank, Player ...
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luke Montebello |
Ħamrun Spartans | 21 |
| 2 | Kemar Reid |
Floriana | 13 |
 Yuri |
Marsaxlokk | ||
| 4 |  Andrei Ciolacu |
Birkirkara | 11 |
 Uroš Đuranović |
Ħamrun Spartans | ||
| 6 | Pablo |
Naxxar Lions | 10 |
| 7 |  Sunday Akinbule |
Marsaxlokk | 9 |
| 8 | Jurgen Degabriele |
Hibernians | 8 |
 Luis Willis Alves Furtado |
Floriana | ||
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Hat-tricks
More information Player, For ...
| Player | For | Against | Result | Stadium | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luke Montebello4 |
Ħamrun Spartan | Balzan | 7-1 (A) | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali | 27 January 2024 |
 George Blackwood |
Balzan | Sirens | 4-1 (A) | Centenary Stadium, Ta' Qali | 6 April 2024 |
| Pablo |
Naxxar Lions | Gudja United | 4-2 (A) | ||
 Seth Paintsil4 |
Ħamrun Spartan | Floriana | 5-0 (A) | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali | 27 April 2024 |
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- Notes
4 Player scored 4 goalss
Clean sheets
More information Rank, Player ...
| Rank | Player | Club | Clean sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Georgi Kitanov |
Floriana | 15 |
| Rashed Al-Tumi |
Sliema Wanderers | ||
| 3 |  Marcel Zapytowski |
Birkirkara | 10 |
| 4 | Akpan David Udoh |
Mosta | 9 |
| Matthias Debono |
Naxxar Lions | ||
| 6 | Henry Bonello |
Ħamrun Spartans | 8 |
 Ibrahim Koné |
Hibernians | ||
| 8 | Danilo Golovic |
Balzan | 7 |
| Marko Drobnjak |
Marsaxlokk | ||
| Francisco Celio Da Paz Silva Filho |
Santa Lucia | ||
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Discipline
Player
- Most yellow cards: 11
Evans Damian Aneni (Mosta)
- Most red cards: 2
Ali Diakite (Birkirkara)
Club
- Most yellow cards: 66
- Most red cards: 6
Monthly awards
More information Month, Manager of the Month ...
| Month | Manager of the Month | Player of the Month | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manager | Club | Player | Club | |
| September | Mauro Camoranesi |
Floriana | Kemar Reid |
Floriana |
| October | George Vella |
Naxxar Lions | Luke Montebello |
Hamrun Spartans |
| November | No Winner | |||
| December | Paul Zammit |
Sliema Wanderers | ||
| January | Luciano Zauri |
Hamrun Spartans | Luke Montebello |
Hamrun Spartans |
| February | ||||
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- Camilleri, Valhmor (11 March 2023). "Watch: Late goal hands Ħamrun Spartans ninth Premier League title". Times of Malta. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
- "Tables & Statistics". maltafootball.com. 20 September 2020.