Maltese Premier League

Maltese Premier League
Organising body Malta Football Association (MFA)
Founded 1909 (1909)
Country  Malta (14 teams)
Confederation UEFA
Number of teams 14
Level on pyramid 1
Relegation to Maltese First Division
Domestic cup(s) Maltese FA Trophy
Maltese Super Cup
International cup(s) UEFA Champions League
UEFA Europa League
Current champions Valletta (24th title)
(2017–18)
Most championships Sliema Wanderers (26 titles)
TV partners TVM2 & Melita Sports 1 (live matches)
Website MFA.com.mt
2018–19 Maltese Premier League

The Maltese Premier League, known as BOV Premier League for sponsorship reasons with Bank of Valletta (colloquially known as Il-Kampjonat Premjer), is the top level league for football in Malta. Managed by the Malta Football Association, the Premier League is contested by 14 teams and operates on a promotion and relegation system with the First Division. As of August 2018, the Premier League ranks 45th out of 55 members in the UEFA coefficient.[1]

The league was first competed in 1909 as the First Division, before switching to its current name in 1980; the First Division in turn replaced the Second Division. Sliema Wanderers have won the title a record 26 times. The current champions are Valletta who won their 24th title in the 2017–18 season.

Format

Starting from the 2017–18 season, the Premier League is contested by 14 clubs.[2][3] Played from August to April, each club plays each others twice (a double round-robin system), for a total of 26 games. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. The club with the most points is crowned as champion. If two or more teams are tied in points (for any place), the deciding tie-breakers are as follows:

  1. Points in head-to-head matches
  2. Goal difference in head-to-head matches
  3. Goals scored in head-to-head matches
  4. Total goal difference
  5. Total goals scored

To determine the champion or qualification to UEFA competitions, a play-off is played to determine the winner. The two lowest placed teams are relegated into the First Division and the twelfth-placed team plays a play-off against the third-placed team from the First Division with the winner either keeping their place or get promoted to the top-tier league.[2]

European qualification

UEFA coefficients 2018–19
Rank Association Coefficient
5 43 Luxembourg Luxembourg 5.625
2 44 Armenia Armenia 5.250
2 45 Malta Malta 5.250
-4 46 Estonia Estonia 5.000
-2 47 Georgia (country) Georgia 4.750

Clubs finishing the season in the top positions of the Premier League are granted qualification to compete in one of UEFA's European competition. This is determined by Malta's position in the UEFA coefficients ranking system.

As of the 2017–18 season, the league winner qualifies to the first qualifying round for the UEFA Champions League. The second- and third-placed teams qualify for the first qualifying round and the preliminary round for the UEFA Europa League, respectively. An additional Europa League place is taken through the country's domestic cup competition, the FA Trophy. If the winner of the FA Trophy qualifies for Europe through their league position, the fourth-placed team in the league qualifies for the Europa League's preliminary round.

Corporate structure

The Premier Division Standing Committee (PDSC) is a body composed of the Premier League club presidents who represent their club on a board. These do not have executive powers but are a formal body that has official influence with regards to rules, regulations and issues that relate to the league. From time to time the committee makes proposals to the respective and MFA bodies for approval.

Clubs

2018–19 season

The following 14 clubs will compete in the Premier League during the 2018–19 season.

Team In league since City Training Stadium Capacity
Balzan 2011 Balzan Victor Tedesco Stadium 6,000
Birkirkara 1990 Birkirkara Ta' Qali National Stadium 17,797
Floriana 1986 Floriana Independence Arena 3,000
Gżira United 2016 Gżira Ta' Qali National Stadium 17,797
Ħamrun Spartans 2016 Ħamrun Victor Tedesco Stadium 6,000
Hibernians 1945 Paola Hibernians Ground 2,968
Mosta 2011 Mosta Charles Abela Memorial Stadium 600
Pietà Hotspurs 2018 Pietà
Qormi 2018 Qormi Thomaso Ground 500
Senglea Athletic 2017 Senglea Ta' Qali National Stadium 17,797
Tarxien Rainbows 2008 Tarxien Tony Cassar Sports Ground 1,000
Sliema Wanderers 1984 Sliema Tigne Sports Complex 1,000
St. Andrews 2015 St. Andrew's Luxol Stadium 800
Valletta 1944 Valletta Centenary Stadium 2,000

Champions

In total, ten clubs have won the Maltese championship, including titles in the old First Division which was replaced in 1980 by the Premier League.[4] Of the winners, three have been champions more than 20 times: Sliema Wanderers (26 titles), Floriana (23 titles), and Valletta (24 titles).

The honour of Golden Stars was introduced in football to recognize sides that have won multiple championships. In Malta, clubs are permitted to place a golden start above their crest for every ten nation championships won. Sliema Wanderers, Floriana and Valletta boast two golden stars, and Hibernians have one golden star placed above their crest on their jerseys.

Club Winners[4] Runners-up Winning years
Sliema Wanderers 26 29 1919–20, 1922–23, 1923–24, 1925–26, 1929–30, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1935–36, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1939–40, 1948–49, 1953–54, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1975–76, 1988–89, 1995–96, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05
Floriana 25 12 1909–10, 1911–12, 1912–13, 1920–21, 1921–22, 1924–25, 1926–27, 1927–28, 1928–29, 1930–31, 1934–35, 1936–37, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1954–55, 1957–58, 1961–62, 1967–68, 1969–70, 1972–73, 1974–75, 1976–77, 1992–93
Valletta 24 18 1914–15, 1931–32, 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, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2017–18
Hibernians 12 13 1960–61, 1966–67, 1968–69, 1978–79, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1993–94, 1994–95, 2001–02, 2008–09, 2014–15, 2016–17
Ħamrun Spartans 7 11 1913–14, 1917–18, 1946–47, 1982–83, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1990–91
Birkirkara 4 8 1999–2000, 2005–06, 2009–10, 2012–13
Rabat Ajax 2 1 1984–85, 1985–86
Marsaxlokk 1 1 2006–07
St. George's 1 4 1916–17
The King's Own Malta Regiment 1 0 1918–19

League appearances

Player Matches
Mario Muscat 501
Brian Said 425
Stefan Sultana 424

Bold denotes still active players.

References

  1. ↑ "UEFA Country Ranking 2019". kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl. 26 July 2018.
  2. 1 2 Camilleri, Valhmor (5 July 2016). "BOV Premier League to increase to 14 teams". Times of Malta. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  3. ↑ "August 18 start for 2017/18 BOV Premier League". Malta Football Association. 1 June 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Malta - List of Champions and Runners-Up". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 2 May 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
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