Maltese Futsal League Explained

Pixels:140
Country:Malta
Confed:UEFA
Founded:2011
Teams:12
Levels:1
Domest Cup:Maltese Futsal Knockout Cup
Confed Cup:UEFA Futsal Cup
Champions:Valletta Futsal Club
Season:2017-18
Most Successful Club: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.

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 Runners-upLeague winnerTop league scorer
width=200Player width=50Nat.Goals
Ace Of Clubs
Laboratoires Alta Care
Laboratoires Alta Care
Swing Kids (group A)King of Shaves (gr. B)
El MundosEl Mundos (group A)RBSM (group B)
HiberniansSerbia (Group A)Hibernians (Group B)
Hibernians (Group A)Serbia (Group B)
Jeepers Handyman Centre †European Pilot AcademyJeepers Handyman Centre (Group A)European Pilot Academy (Group B)
Scandals †European Pilot AcademyAluserv
Jeepers Handyman CentreNaxxar Motors
ZC ExcessNaxxar MotorsNaxxar Motors
Paola DowntownZC Excess42
Excess RP BidnijaNaxxar MotorsExcess RP Bidnija
BalzanBalzan
47+
LuxolBalzanLuxol
Valletta
Luxol75
LuxolLuxol
LuxolValletta
season declared null and void due to Covid-19 pandemic

Performance by club

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

References

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

External links