Luciano Zauri could not hide his emotions on Saturday afternoon after watching his team being crowned as Malta champions for the tenth time in the club’s history.
This year’s success holds special significance for the Spartans after coming out on top in a hard-fought campaign that saw them embroiled in an exciting battle with Floriana.
The Spartans retained their status as Malta champions for a second successive season as they finished five points clear of Floriana. But of more prestige to the club is that their tenth success also earns them the right to enter among a small group of clubs who have a star embroidered on their club’s badge.
“At the moment, I am experiencing a lot of emotions after such a hard-fought campaign,” the former Lazio defender told the Times of Malta.
“It has been a football season that has passed so fast for me. I remember the first day when I arrived and I got to know a lot of new people but immediately I sensed that I had a very strong squad of players who had the qualities to fulfil all the objectives set by the club.
“We have managed to win 99 per cent of the trophies we could win, the only one we missed was the FA Trophy where we lost undeservedly a match we dominated from start to finish.
“But it has been a great experience for me as I challenged myself in a new environment and I’m grateful for the support of my family who were behind my decision to work in a foreign country.
“I am also grateful to this club who welcomed me with open arms and they supported me all the way so it was easier for me to be successful.”
“But I was here with the sole intent of winning and I believe that nobody can contend the fact that we fully deserved this title success.”
Zauri’s contract at Ħamrun Spartans expires at the end of the season. Asked whether he will still be at the helm when the team embarks on their Champions League challenge in July, the Italian said that he still unsure of what will happen.
“At the moment, I don’t know what will happen,” Zauri said.
“We have yet to sit down and discuss what will happen. If there will be the will from both ends to continue I will stay here. If not I will walk away it will not be a problem.
“Whatever happens I will remain grateful to Ħamrun Spartans for the opportunity they have given me to come here and experience this football reality and this club will always remain close to my heart.”
For Zauri, this was his first experience in Maltese football.
Asked what where his impressions of Maltese football, the Italian had a very clear mind about it.
“I was really motivated to come to Malta and experience a new reality,” Zauri said.
“When you feel so much wanted by a club it’s only natural that you have more desire to come and work.
“I came here in Malta with an open mind and my approach was to try and get to know everyone involved in this environment, not just the players and the club officials but also the people responsible of our stadium, the kit managers and all the people who form part of this family and I immediately felt at ease here.
“When the first matches of the championship started there were some things that I had to get accustomed to.
“One of them was the fact that we had to play matches in three different stadiums, something that I never experienced in my life. But I knew that I had to settle in these things quickly.
“One major thing that is missing here in Malta is the lack of football stadiums. To play Premier League football in just three stadiums shows the pressing need to improve football infrastructure.
“I believe that should be a major priority here to have two or three more proper stadiums that could pave the way to attract high-profile players and investors who could provide better competition here.”
As regards, the level of Maltese players Zauri said that in general the players he watched here in Malta are similar to that of the Italian third-tier Lega Pro.
“I was not surprised with what I witnessed in terms of the players’ technical level here,” Zauri said.
“It respected what I had been told that in general the level of the game here is similar to the Lega Pro in Italy. In my opinion, Ħamrun Spartans boast a group of players of a higher level, which would be similar to a team in the Italian Serie B.
“I found some very talented players and there were also some teams who struggled a lot.
“But that happens in football when you bring in the wrong players it’s only natural that you end up struggling badly.
“The players who play here, irrespective of their nationality, would easily play in the Italian Lega Pro. Something, that surprised me is their high level of commitment during training and in matches.”
Zauri said that his biggest blessing at Ħamrun Spartans was the fact that he had the full faith of the club’s top hierarchy and that was crucial for him to bring success.
“One thing that I had never experienced in my life was the fact that the club’s top hierarchy was firmly behind me right from the first day,” Zauri said.
Open relationship
“There was not one single day that I didn’t feel that I had the support of the president and the club committee and every time I had a problem to resolve they did everything to put things right.
“We had a very open relationship where we discussed what was going well and what can be improved and that was very fundamental for me as I never found myself alone.
“Even with the players I had a very open relationship. Obviously when a player is not playing, he can’t be happy but I always tried push them to work harder and at the same time make them feel that they are an important part of the group.”
Joseph Portelli has been the cornerstone behind Ħamrun Spartans success in the last five years and Zauri said that Ħamrun Spartans were blessed to be guided by someone who lived football with so much passion.
“President Joseph Portelli is an extraordinary person,” Zauri said.
“I have never met a person who lives football with so much passion. He was never happy unless the team wins, even a draw was not good enough for him. When the team gets a bad result you could see in his eyes the disappointment he feels.
“For him Ħamrun Spartans is his world and when we beat Floriana to secure the title the joy he felt was difficult to describe and he went to celebrate with our fans.
“He may be a very wealthy man but for me, his biggest asset is the passion and will to succeed that he brings to the club.”
Next season, the Premier League will be played in a new format, similar to the Apertura and Clausura championship formats played in South America, that has inevitably caused a lot of controversy.
The Spartans were against this change in format and Zauri said that for him this decision was a step in the wrong direction.
“A lot is said on what should be done to improve football in Malta but then a decision is taken to introduce a format that is used in just three countries in the world. That fact shows that it was not a very wise decision,” the Italian said.
“If you aspire to reach the higher levels of the other countries you can’t do this the other way round. For me it’s very difficult to understand why this decision has been taken.
“For sure, there are other problems to solve. I said that one should focus more on improving football infrastructure, nurture the young players, try to export them to other countries so that in a few years the level of football here grows.
“The format is not something that will change anything. If you spend a lot of money you will still succeed and that is something that will never change.”
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