Their record of eleven cup wins, and six trophies won in 2000-2001 season alone underlined this claim. However in 2004 they found themselves scrapping it out in the Relegation Pool. This signalled a period of seven years where the club failed to add any more trophies.
This was finally put right in 2008. The season started badly with a 3-2 defeat to local rivals Floriana. By the time they played defending champions Marsaxlokk they had hit their stride winning 7-0. Floriana were dispatched 4-0 in the return match. The Championship was finally won and brought back to Valletta in May.
In total Valletta have won 19 titles. Their first appearance in a European competition took place in 1965 against Real Zaragoza, losing 1-8 on aggregate. Their worst defeats came at the hands of Glasgow Rangers in the 1983-84 Cup Winners Cup losing at home 0-8, and 0-10 in Scotland. The club colours are all white, with red being adopted away from home.
On an island where a stray goal kick could end up in the sea, it is remarkable that such passionate rivalries can exist. One thing that does unite both of these closely placed teams is their shared rivalry with Sliema Wanderers from across the Valletta Harbour.
Check out the Malta Football Association website. Links to Floriana FC and Valletta FC will take you to their official sites. Alternatively grab a flight, and visit the island of Malta yourself. Take your sunglasses and a fixture list and watch these old rivalries take place.
Please watch out for Part 2 of the Malta series. Next time out Euroscore will go across the harbour and drop in on Sliema Wanderers. We will also be taking a look at another Maltese club with a successful history Paola’s Hibernians.
Article comments
1 - Dr Dreadful
I understand that the national stadium at least is much-improved nowadays, but time was not too long ago when the big European powers used to dread being drawn to play away in Malta. As weak a footballing power as the country is, visiting teams frequently struggled on the bumpy dirt pitch. There was the occasional surprise result - which, however, was invariably overturned with interest in the return leg! Mighty England famously limped to a 1-0 win in Valletta in a European Championship qualifier in 1971 before thumping Malta 5-0 in the return match at Wembley.
In an era where top coaches are fond of saying that 'there are no easy games any more', Malta remain one of the whipping-boys of the game (the national team has only ever won four competitive matches).