2023–24 Maltese Premier League Explained

Season:2023–24
Dates:15 September 2023 – 4 May 2024
Competition:Maltese Premier League
Winners:Ħamrun Spartans
(10th title)
Relegated:Gudja United
Santa Lucia
Sirens
Valletta
Continentalcup1:UEFA Champions League
Continentalcup1 Qualifiers:Ħamrun Spartans
Continentalcup2:UEFA Conference League
Continentalcup2 Qualifiers:Floriana
Marsaxlokk
Sliema Wanderers
League Topscorer: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)
Matches:182
Total Goals:443
Longest Wins:Ħamrun Spartans
(8 matches)
Longest Unbeaten:Floriana
Ħamrun Spartans
(11 matches)
Longest Winless:Gudja United
(26 matches)
Longest Losses:Gudja United
(16 matches)
Prevseason:2022–23
Nextseason:2024–25
Updated:5 May 2024

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.

The season saw the relegation of Valletta, one of the most historic teams in Maltese football, for the first time in their history.

Teams

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.

TeamIn league sinceCity
Balzan2011
Birkirkara1990
Floriana1986
Gudja United2019
Gżira United2016
Ħamrun Spartans2016
Hibernians1945Paola
Marsaxlokk2022Marsaxlokk
Mosta2011
Naxxar Lions2023
Santa Lucia2019
2023
Sirens2019
Valletta1944

Venues

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.

Ta' QaliTa' QaliPaolaHamrun
Ta' Qali National StadiumCentenary StadiumTony Bezzina StadiumVictor Tedesco Stadium
Capacity: 16,997Capacity: 3,000Capacity: 2,968Capacity: 1,962

Personnel and kits

TeamManagerKit manufacturerShirt sponsor (front)Shirt sponsor (back)Shirt sponsor (sleeve)
Balzan Oliver SpiteriJomaMBI GroupVisit Malta (Bottom)
Birkirkara Jose BorgNikeMcDonald'sInter Sport (Top)Visit Malta (Right)
Floriana Mauro CamoranesiJomaHarmont & Blaine, Greens SupermarketGo & Fun (Right)
Gudja United Renzo Kerr-CumboMacronHandy Man, SixSevenEightApex Group (Top)Thomas Smith Insurance Broker (Left)
Gżira United Andrew CohenJomaFinanzi (Top), Recruit Giant (Bottom), Visit Malta (Bottom)
Ħamrun Spartans Luciano ZauriPumaJ. PortelliMeridianbet (Bottom), Besteam audio (Bottom)Ta' Fonzu (Right), Tescoma (Left)
Hibernians Branko NiševićJomaBezzina
Marsaxlokk Winston MuscatJoma1padelMr. Fitz Restaurant Marsaxlokk (Left)
Mosta Joseph GrechMacronTeamsport (Bottom)
Naxxar Lions George VellaJomaBrown's, sottozeroZarb Coaches (Top), Badass, McQueen, Sammut Concrete Supplies (Bottom)Welbee's (Right), Würth, Centerparc (Left)
Santa Lucia Alessandro ZinnariCapelli SportMultivend, avanzaElmo (Top), Konica Minolta (Bottom) Yellow Army (Left), Levissima (Right)
Sliema Wanderers Paul ZammitAdidasNMGroup, Comeon Group, XaceDaikin, Zarb Coaches (Bottom)
Sirens Stephen DamatoMacronCafé del Mar Malta, Welbee'sArringo (Top), Malta National Aquarium (Bottom)
Valletta Juan Cruz Gill (Caretaker)NikeInialaInter Sport (Top)Toyotomi, Da Mattia (Left), 5 Beans (Right)

Managerial changes

TeamOutgoing managerManner of
departure
Date of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment
Ħamrun Spartans Branko NiševićResign22 April 2023Pre-season Luciano Zauri29 April 2023
Sirens Winston Muscat28 April 2023 Stephen Damato24 May 2023
Marsaxlokk Pablo DoffoEnd of Contract6 May 2023 Winston Muscat14 June 2023
Floriana Gianluca Atzori10 May 2023 Mauro Camoranesi5 June 2023
Hibernians Silvio VellaMutual consent1 June 2023 Branko Nišević17 July 2023
Santa Lucia Enzo PotenzaResign21 June 2023 Alessandro Zinnari12 July 2023
Gudja United Ludvic BartoloEnd of Caretaker29 July 2023 Jesmond Zammit29 July 2023
Valletta Thane MicallefSacked2 October 20238th Enzo Potenza7 October 2023
Birkirkara Giovanni TedescoResign26 November 202310th Brian Chetcuti (Caretaker)26 November 2023
Gudja United Jesmond ZammitSacked21 December 202314th Renzo Kerr-Cumbo27 December 2023
Gżira United Darren AbdillaResign17 January 20249th Andrew Cohen18 January 2024
Birkirkara Brian ChetcutiEnd of Caretaker5 February 20247th Jose Borg5 February 2024
Valletta Enzo PotenzaResign26 February 202412th Juan Cruz Gill (Caretaker)26 February 2024

League table

Season statistics

Scoring

Top scorers

[2]

RankPlayerClubGoals
1 Luke MontebelloĦamrun Spartans21
2 Kemar ReidFloriana13
YuriMarsaxlokk
4 Andrei CiolacuBirkirkara11
Uroš ĐuranovićĦamrun Spartans
6 PabloNaxxar Lions10
7 Sunday AkinbuleMarsaxlokk9
8 Jurgen DegabrieleHibernians8
Luis Willis Alves FurtadoFloriana

Hat-tricks

Player For Against Result StadiumDate
Luke Montebello4Ħamrun SpartanBalzan7-1 (A)Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali27 January 2024
George BlackwoodBalzanSirens4-1 (A)Centenary Stadium, Ta' Qali6 April 2024
PabloNaxxar LionsGudja United4-2 (A)
Seth Paintsil4Ħamrun SpartanFloriana5-0 (A)Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali27 April 2024
Notes4 Player scored 4 goalss

Clean sheets

RankPlayerClubClean sheets
1 Georgi KitanovFloriana15
Rashed Al-TumiSliema Wanderers
3 Marcel ZapytowskiBirkirkara10
4 Akpan David UdohMosta9
Matthias DebonoNaxxar Lions
6 Henry BonelloĦamrun Spartans8
Ibrahim KonéHibernians
8 Danilo GolovicBalzan7
Marko DrobnjakMarsaxlokk
Francisco Celio Da Paz Silva FilhoSanta Lucia

Discipline

Player

Club

Monthly awards

MonthManager of the MonthPlayer of the Month
ManagerClubPlayerClub
September Mauro CamoranesiFloriana Kemar ReidFloriana
October George VellaNaxxar Lions Luke MontebelloHamrun Spartans
NovemberNo Winner
December Paul ZammitSliema Wanderers
January Luciano ZauriHamrun Spartans Luke MontebelloHamrun Spartans
February

Notes and References

  1. News: Watch: Late goal hands Ħamrun Spartans ninth Premier League title. Valhmor. Camilleri. Times of Malta. 11 March 2023. 9 April 2023.
  2. Web site: Tables & Statistics. maltafootball.com. 20 September 2020 .