Watch: Sliema eye Euro achievement after Enemed Cup triumph

Though not as dominant as they had been during summer, Sliema peaked at the right time and thus prolonged a winning streak that saw them adding the Enemed Cup to the National League and the Knock Out competition clinched during the 2024 season.

Before their double success in the 2024 season, the Blues had gone through a decade of drought in terms of league and knock out honours.

Now, there is reason to believe that the latest Enemed Cup triumph will set the stage for more titles.

Whereas in summer, their success was building up to an exciting crescendo, the triumph in the Enemed Cup was a closer affair after defeat against Valletta, leaving them trailing San Ġiljan throughout the competition.

Last Saturday, in a must-win encounter, Sliema took the Saints by storm to finally pip them at the post.

Sliema coach Giannis Katrouzanakis was quick to point out his team’s character that helped them win this competition.

“The mental strength and power to recover in moments of difficulty were evident. We have four players missing due to injury and illness, but the youngsters stepped up and took over the responsibility,” the Greek coach explained.

The match was conditioned by the brutality committed by Jake Bonavia, who left his team to battle on for four minutes with a man less.

However, Katrouzanakis argued that numerical superiority is not always translated into a competitive advantage unless the team fully takes advantage of the scoring opportunities.

Sliema wrote a new chapter in the history of Maltese waterpolo when they qualified for the quarter-finals of the LEN Challenger Cup.

It was an extraordinary feat from the Blues who were the first Maltese side to progress for far in a European competition and now awaits them the return tie against Slovenian side Ljubljana Slovan.

Having won the first leg in Slovenia, 15-8, hopes are high that they will reach the Final Four of the LEN Challenger Cup.

“We are now fully immersed in the return of the LEN Challenger Cup. We are seven goals up, but we need to keep our feet on the ground to finish the job,” he said.

“We can start dreaming, our aim is to reach the Final Four of the LEN Challenger Cup,” he added.

Such qualification would be uncharted territory for our small country.

It was a huge task never before accomplished in Malta as in last year’s edition the Maltese national team, under the name of Valletta, were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Galatasaray.

Considering that Sliema was the only side playing without a foreigner and the talented Jayden Cutajar, this feat will draw the envy of many teams.

Experience and youthful drive are the main qualities of this Sliema side which justify expectations of an extended run of honours.

The Blues administrators’ policy in recent years has been very productive as they invested in home-grown talent as well as adding experienced players, rebuilding a squad not only worthy of respect but also capable of winning honours.