New era starts as 360 Sports Premier League kicks off under new format

Maltese football is set to enter a new era as of this weekend as the 360 Sports Malta Premier League will get under way with MatchDay One to be played between Friday and Sunday.

This season’s top-tier championship is set to provide a lot of novelties as the competition is no longer being organised by the Malta FA but is being run by the Malta Premier League Ltd.

The championship will be contested by 12 teams instead of 14 and will feature a new format, which will see the participating sides competing in a competition played on two rounds – the Opening Round and the Closing Round.

In the Opening Round – Phase 1, all 12 teams will play each other and therefore play a total of 11 matches.

In Phase 2, teams will be split into two sections – the Top 6 and the Bottom 6 where in each section teams will play five matches in all.

The ranking at the end of the Opening Round will be noted but points will then be reset to zero for the Closing Round.

In the Closing Round – Phase 1, all 12 teams will play each other once again and therefore play a total of 11 matches.

In Phase 2, teams will be split once again into two sections – the Top 6 and the Bottom 6 where in each section teams will play five matches in all.

Champions Ħamrun Spartans will be keen to win their third title in a row but they face a much tougher task this season to retain their crown.

This is because not only their roster has been significantly revamped from the one that won an historic 10th title last May but their nearest rivals have all strengthened their ranks and a fierce battle for honours is expected to ensue.

After a low-key showing in this season’s UEFA club competitions, which saw the Spartans bow out to Lincoln Red Imps, of Gibraltar, in the Champions League, and then losing to FC Ballkani, of Kosovo, in the UEFA Conference League, Alessandro Zinnari’s men will be bidding to a positive start to their title defence when they face newcomers Żabbar St Patrick at the National Stadium, on Sunday.

The Reds are heading into the match with some question marks on the fitness of some key players.

Defender Emerson Marcelina and midfielder Eder are out due to injury while wing backs Ryan Camenzuli and Juan Corbalan are battling to regain full fitness after suffering injuries during their Euro matches.

Żabbar SP, back in the Maltese top flight after several years, will be keen to make a positive start to life in the Premier League and are expected to present themselves with a much-improved squad from that of last season, which had finished as runners-up in the Challenge League.

MatchDay One will get underway on Friday with two interesting match-ups as Birkirkara will face neighbours Balzan in the opening match before Sliema Wanderers take on Mosta at the Tony Bezzina Stadium.

The ‘derby’ between Balzan and Birkirkara brings against each other two teams that have started afresh in the close season.

New coach

Birkirkara, now under the charge of Italian coach Stefano De Angelis, have made a number of changes to their squad, most notably overhauling their line-up of foreign players in a bid to mount a much stronger challenge for honours this season after a low-key showing in 2023-24.

Balzan, too, have a new coach at the helm in Dave Rogers and the Englishman has vowed to transform the side into a more attacking-minded outfit in a bid to secure a top-six placing this season after the struggles of last term.

Sliema Wanderers, buoyed by an impressive transfer market campaign, which saw them sign some top-quality players such as Adam Magri Overend, Cain Attard, and Stanley Ohawuchi, just to name a few, will be keen to open their campaign in winning fashion against Mosta in tonight’s match.

Floriana, last season’s runners-up, will kick off their campaign on Saturday against newcomers Melita FC.

The Greens, now under the charge of Darren Abdilla, will fancy their chances of starting the campaign with a win over last season’s Challenge League winners.

Abdilla could be tempted to hand a debut to Nigerian forward Franklin Sasere, formerly of Ħamrun Spartans, but is likely to stick with the same players that featured prominently in the UEFA Conference League qualifiers.

On his part, Clive Mizzi, the Melita coach, will be keen to see how his side will adapt to life in top-flight football and a clash against one of the strongest sides in the division could be the perfect test for his players.

Naxxar Lions, last season’s revelation, will open their campaign against Hibernians.

For the Lions, this season will be another opportunity to establish themselves in the Premier League.

On the other hand, Hibernians are desperate to make amends for a disappointing 2023-24 season and a win against the Lions could be the perfect lift-off for Branko Nisevic’s charges.

The other clash of the weekend will feature Marsaxlokk and Gżira United.

The Southerners have made no secret of their ambition of challenging for honours this season.

Coach Winston Muscat will be keen to see his players show their undoubted quality with a strong performance against Gżira United.

On the other hand, the Maroons, guided by Andrew Cohen, seem to have bolstered their squad with some excellent acquisitions, such as Malta defender Enrico Pepe and Kevin Tulimieri, as they look to battle for a top-six placing this season.