Maltese Premier League

Maltese Premier League
Countries	Malta
Founded	1909
Number of teams	10
Relegation to	Maltese First Division
Level on pyramid	Level 1
Domestic cup(s)	U*Bet FA Trophy
Current champions	Hibernians
Website	Official
	2009–2010

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The Maltese Premier League, known as BOV Premier League for sponsorship reasons (colloquially known as Il-Kampjonat, Il-Lig, or Il-Premjer), is the top level league for football in Malta. The league was first competed in 1909. In the Maltese football system, there are three divisions under the Premier League, they are; the First, Second and Third divisions.

Prior to 1980, the top level of the Maltese Football League was known as the First Division, however it was renamed the Premier League and has stayed so since, with the First Division (formerly known as the Second Division) one level lower.

The league competition is based on two rounds.During every season, which is held between August and May, in the first round all the 10 teams play against each other two times. When each club has played 18 matches the division is split in two and points are halved, the first six teams participate in the The Championship Pool and the last four teams play in The Relegation Pool.

Based on league performance, there are three slots open for entry into wider UEFA organised competitions. Winners of the league are entered into the First Qualifying Round of the Champions League. Runners-up and third place clubs are entered into the First Qualifying Round of the UEFA Cup. The last two teams in the relegation pool are relegated to the first division.

Additionally, a Maltese club qualifies for the UEFA Cup if they win the Maltese Cup. This club qualifies directly to the second round of the UEFA Cup.

This years' 10 participating teams are: Birkirkara, Floriana, Hamrun Spartans, Hibernians, Marsaxlokk, Msida St.Joseph, Qormi F.C., Sliema Wanderers, Tarxien Rainbows, Valletta

[edit] Champions

Here is a complete list of the past champions of the top level in Maltese football.^[1]

1909–10 Floriana
1910–11 No competition held
1911–12 Floriana
1912–13 Floriana
1913–14 Hamrun Spartans
1914–15 Valletta United
1915–16 No competition held
1916–17 St. George's
1917–18 Hamrun Spartans
1918–19 King's Own Malta Regiment
1919–20 Sliema Wanderers
1920–21 Floriana
1921–22 Floriana
1922–23 Sliema Wanderers
1923–24 Sliema Wanderers
1924–25 Floriana
1925–26 Sliema Wanderers
1926–27 Floriana
1927–28 Floriana
1928–29 Floriana
1929–30 Sliema Wanderers
1930–31 Floriana
1931–32 Valletta United
1932–33 Sliema Wanderers
1933–34 Sliema Wanderers
1934–35 Floriana
1935–36 Sliema Wanderers
1936–37 Floriana
1937–38 Sliema Wanderers
1938–39 Sliema Wanderers
1939–40 Sliema Wanderers
1940–44 not held due to WWII

1944–45 Valletta
1945–46 Valletta
1946–47 Hamrun Spartans
1947–48 Valletta
1948–49 Sliema Wanderers
1949–50 Floriana
1950–51 Floriana
1951–52 Floriana
1952–53 Floriana
1953–54 Sliema Wanderers
1954–55 Floriana
1955–56 Sliema Wanderers
1956–57 Sliema Wanderers
1957–58 Floriana
1958–59 Valletta
1959–60 Valletta
1960–61 Hibernians
1961–62 Floriana
1962–63 Valletta
1963–64 Sliema Wanderers
1964–65 Sliema Wanderers
1965–66 Sliema Wanderers
1966–67 Hibernians
1967–68 Floriana
1968–69 Hibernians
1969–70 Floriana
1970–71 Sliema Wanderers
1971–72 Sliema Wanderers
1972–73 Floriana
1973–74 Valletta
1974–75 Floriana
1975–76 Sliema Wanderers

1976–77 Floriana
1977–78 Valletta
1978–79 Hibernians
1979–80 Valletta
1980–81 Hibernians
1981–82 Hibernians
1982–83 Hamrun Spartans
1983–84 Valletta
1984–85 Rabat Ajax
1985–86 Rabat Ajax
1986–87 Hamrun Spartans
1987–88 Hamrun Spartans
1988–89 Sliema Wanderers
1989–90 Valletta
1990–91 Hamrun Spartans
1991–92 Valletta
1992–93 Floriana
1993–94 Hibernians
1994–95 Hibernians
1995–96 Sliema Wanderers
1996–97 Valletta
1997–98 Valletta
1998–99 Valletta
1999–00 Birkirkara
2000–01 Valletta
2001–02 Hibernians
2002–03 Sliema Wanderers
2003–04 Sliema Wanderers
2004–05 Sliema Wanderers
2005–06 Birkirkara
2006–07 Marsaxlokk
2007–08 Valletta
2008–09 Hibernians

[edit] Performance by club

Club	Winners
Sliema Wanderers	26
Floriana	25
Valletta	19
Hibernians	10
Ħamrun Spartans	7
Birkirkara	2
Rabat Ajax	2
King's Own Malta Regiment†	1
Marsaxlokk	1
St. George's	1

†Defunct club.

[edit] Notable foreign players

Goalkeepers
Nationality	Player Name	Premier League Club (s) in Malta and Seasons
Nigeria	Murphy Akanji	Sliema Wanderers (2001–2008)
Poland	Andrzej Bledzewski	Birkirkara (2006–2007)
Republic of the Congo	Daniel Dengaky	Ħamrun Spartans (2000–2004)
Serbia	Dejan Maksić	Floriana (2008)
Defenders
Nationality	Player Name	Premier League Club (s) in Malta and Seasons
Italy	Cristiano Bergodi	Sliema Wanderers (1999–2000)
Italy	Mauro Di Lello	Pietà Hotspurs (2000–2004), Sliema Wanderers (2005–2007)
Argentina	Pablo Doffo	Hibernians (2006–2008), Floriana (2008–)
Nigeria	Sunday Eboh	Marsa (2001), Birkirkara (2001–2004), Floriana (2007–2008)
Nigeria	Augustine Eguavoen	Sliema Wanderers (1999–2001)
Republic of the Congo	Riad Gango-Rtsa	Floriana (2000–2007)
Portugal	Nuno Gomes	Marsaxlokk (2005–2006)
Nigeria	Essien Mbong	Hibernians (1998–2006), Marsa (2006–2007)
Nigeria	Precious Monye	Birkirkara (2003–2007), Ħamrun Spartans (2007–2008)
Argentina	Cesar Paiber	Ħamrun Spartans (1992–1995), Ħamrun Spartans (2001–2002), Hibernians (2002–2004), Marsaxlokk (2004–2006)
Bulgaria	Nikola Slavtchev	Zurrieq (1999–2000), Marsa (2001–2003), Marsaxlokk (2003–2004)
Italy	Christian Terlizzi	Pietà Hotspurs (2000)
Bulgaria	Emil Yantchev	Birkirkara (2005–2006), Marsa (2006–2007), Birkirkara (2007–2008)
Midfielders
Nationality	Player Name	Premier League Club (s) in Malta and Seasons
Germany	Heiner Backhaus	Valletta (2007–2008)
England	Chris Bart-Williams	Marsaxlokk (2005–2006)
Italy	Massimo Beghetto	Sliema Wanderers (2001–2002)
England	Yala Bolasie	Floriana (2007–2008)
Nigeria	Ndubisi Chukunyere	Hibernians (1997–2005), Valletta (2005–2006), Hibernians (2006–2008)
Tunisia	Ridha Dardouri	Lija Athletic (1996–1997), Birkirkara (1997–1998), Sliema Wanderers (1998–1999), Naxxar Lions (1999–2000), Marsa (2001–2003), Floriana (2003–2004)
England	Craig Dean	Valletta (2005–2006)
Nigeria	Haruna Doda	Birkirkara (2003–2005), Hibernians (2005–2006), Marsaxlokk (2006–2007)
Nigeria	Chima Dozie	Sliema Wanderers (2000–2001), Naxxar Lions (2001–2002), St. Patrick (2004–2005)
Czech Republic	Kamil Dvorak	Valletta (2000–2002)
England	Stanley Matthews	Hibernians (1970–1971)
England	Tony Morley	Ħamrun Spartans (1990)
Republic of the Congo	Rufin Oba	Floriana (1997–2002), Birkirkara (2002–2003), Floriana (2005–2006)
Bulgaria	Milen Penchev	Valletta (2002–2006)
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Sinisa Radak	Naxxar Lions (1995–1999), Valletta (1999–2000), Ħamrun Spartans (2000–2002)
Brazil	André Rocha da Silva	Floriana (2003–2006), Marsaxlokk (2006–2008), Hibernians (2006–2007), Sliema Wanderers (2007–2008), Msida Saint-Joseph (2008–)
Czech Republic	Zdeněk Svoboda	Sliema Wanderers (2006–2007)
Lithuania	Donatas Vencevičius	Marsaxlokk (2003–2004)
Strikers
Nationality	Player Name	Premier League Club (s) in Malta and Seasons
Nigeria	Olumuyiwa Aganun	Msida Saint-Joseph (2003–2004)
Argentina	Julio Alcorsé	Hibernians (2007–), Marsaxlokk (2007–)
Nigeria	Peter Anizoba	St. Patrick (2004–2005)
Nigeria	Ibrahim Babatunde	Msida Saint-Joseph (2005–2007)
Nigeria	Ikechukwu Chibueze	Mosta (2005–2006)
Netherlands	Jordi Cruyff	Valletta (2009–)
Bulgaria	Martin Deanov	Pietà Hotspurs (1999–2000), Pietà Hotspurs (2005–2008)
Brazil	Eduardo do Nascimento	Floriana (2000–2002), Sliema Wanderers (2002–2003), Floriana (2003–2005), St. George's (2006–2007)
Serbia	Danilo Doncic	Valletta (1994–1997), Sliema Wanderers (2001–2006)
Nigeria	Alfred Effiong	St. George's (2006–2007), Ħamrun Spartans (2007–2008), Qormi (2008–)
Brazil	Wendell Gomes	Marsaxlokk (2005–2006), Floriana (2006–2007), Marsaxlokk (2007–2008)
Serbia	Nebjosa Jankovic	Birkirkara (1994–1995), Tarxien Rainbows (1997–1998), Naxxar Lions (2000–2001)
England	Paul Mariner	Naxxar Lions (1990–1991)
Argentina	Omar Sebastián Monesterolo	Valletta (2005–2006), Valletta (2006–2007), Valletta (2007–)
Czech Republic	Pavel Mraz	Sliema Wanderers (1997–1998), Valletta (1998–2002)
Nigeria	Daniel Nwoke	Naxxar Lions (2001–2002), Msida Saint-Joseph (2003–2007)
Nigeria	Uwa Ogbodo	Xghajra Tornadoes (1997–1998), Sliema Wanderers (1998–2000), Marsaxlokk (2002–2003)
Nigeria	Chris Oretan	Naxxar Lions (1998–2000), Valletta (2000–2003), Valletta (2004–2005)
Serbia	Igor Stefanovic	Floriana (1994–1996), Floriana (1997–1998), Birkirkara (1998–1999), Naxxar Lions (1998–1999), Gozo (1999–2000), Marsa (2001–2002)
Nigeria	Frank Temile	Valletta (2007–2008)