Dorianne Theuma, first female player with 100 Malta caps, announces football retirement

A Maltese football legend will hang up her boots at the end of this season after Dorianne Theuma announced her retirement from the game.

She will see out the 2023/2024 season as a Swieqi United player and captain, whose she is coaching as well after the club parted ways with Saviour Darmanin.

The former Malta captain took to her social media to bid farewell to the Beautiful Game, on Sunday night.

“With a heavy heart and a lot of thinking, I feel it’s the right time to close an important chapter of my life at the end of this season,” her statement started.

“Playing football for 27 years has defined the person I am today. It has been my passion, my lifestyle, my happiness.

It has taught me invaluable lessons; discipline, resilience, respect. It has been an incredible journey, full of highs and lows, joys and sorrows, victories and defeats.”

Theuma, who will be 40 next month, can be considered as one of the pioneers of the local women’s game.

She was part of the Maltese selection that made its international debut in a 2003 European qualifier against Romania.

Since then, Theuma has been involved in almost every match, becoming the longest-serving player for the women’s team with 117 caps.

Theuma, who plays as a midfielder, is the only female to play over 100 games for Malta. Stephania Farrugia follows with 98 caps, Rachel Cuschieri with 96, Charlene Zammit with 95 and Ylenia Carabott with 94.

She is also the all-time top scorer with 26 goals followed by forwards Ylenia Carabott (20) and Haley Bugeja (19).

“I have absolutely no regrets. I did everything to the best of my ability and always tried to lead by example,” Theuma added.

“I was always true to myself and never chose the easy way out. Always doing what I felt was right at that time, even if it meant creating a few enemies along the way.

For this, I am proud.”

At club level, Theuma won every single competition including last season’s domestic cup with Swieqi – her seventh at personal level.

Theuma and Swieqi will be vying for a second straight success as they are still involved in this season’s competition. They face Hibernians in the semi-finals, this weekend.

Theuma won the women’s championship on 13 occasions.

“To all my teammates, thank you. For assisting, celebrating and crying with me, but most importantly for the dedication, and the will to train harder, day in day out,” Theuma wrote.

“You are the people that kept me going for so long. Our memories will stick with me forever. Thank you to those coaches who were always committed and willing to help women’s football evolve, even if at times we were a little too demanding.”

Playing for Hibernians – with whom she made her debut in 1997, Mosta and Swieqi, Theuma made 454 appearances in domestic competitions, a record, while scoring 412 goals, finishing as the league’s best scorer on seven occasions while topping the all-time women’s championship’s scoring charts.

She has also 12 appearances and 1 goal in the Women’s Champions League.

Theuma has also been named MFA Women’s Player of the Year for a record eight times in her career, with her recent award being in 2022.

“We will see what the future holds. Although very hard to match, hoping it will be another amazing journey like it was these last 27 years,” Theuma said.

“From the little girl playing football in the streets, to captaining my country and clubs so proudly. I feel blessed for what I have managed to achieve and I only hope to see our game keep growing.

Thank you football”, her statement finished.

The former Malta captain is expected to continue her coaching career having already been involved with Birkirkara and Swieqi at youth level, while also managing Swieqi’s first team this season.