Kampjonat Malta Ltd chairman Alan Abela is focused on building a stronger operational structure while also ensuring a sustainable financial model as the 2025-26 YoHealth Malta Premier season kicks off in less than a week.
Anticipation is high among the local football fans as the second edition of the YoHealth Malta Premier kicks off on Saturday with a blockbuster clash between Valletta and Birkirkara at the National Stadium.
After all the controversy and discussions that emanated from last season’s maiden campaign, Maltese football fans are bracing themselves for another hard-fought campaign and Abela told the Times of Malta that he expects another thrilling battle for the league title.
“We are excited and looking forward to another successful campaign,” Abela said.
“Based on last year’s experience, I anticipate a very tight battle in the first phase, which should make the opening matches particularly compelling. Every match matters, as witnessed in last year’s campaign, where no team can afford to drop any point.”
Abela said that this season, the challenges in terms of organisation for the Malta Premier are getting bigger and bigger, and highlighted plans of taking over match operations responsibility from the Malta FA as their biggest challenge.
“This year, we concentrated on building a stronger operational structure, ensuring that every team member has clearly defined responsibilities,” Abela said.
“Our biggest challenge will undoubtedly be taking over match operations from the Malta Football Association. The past few weeks have been challenging, as discussions with the local governing body of football have not always yielded the desired results. I would like to thank Dr Matthew Paris for his continued support and for facilitating this important transition.”
One major novelty in this year’s championship is that teams who finish with the same number of points will go on and face off in a decider.
“Following a decision by the majority of clubs, as from this season, if teams finish with the same number of points, a decider match will be played to determine placings, rather than using head-to-head results,” Abela said.
“This decision was approved by the MFA Assembly and this change aims to provide a clearer and more competitive conclusion.”
A lot has been said in the close season on the possibility of match officials making use of video technology to help them officiate matches.
VAR Technology
Joseph Muscat announced in the Times of Malta’s Sportsdesk that the Malta Premier League were planning to introduce a less-expensive form of VAR Technology, the Football Video Support (FVS).
Abela said that Kampjonat Malta Ltd is hopeful to have the technological system in place by the time the Top Six and the Bottom Six kick off in the Opening Round.
“We are currently evaluating the various proposals received,” Abela revealed.
“All costs for the Football Video Support (FVS) system will be borne by the league, making it essential to secure the most cost-effective and sustainable option. I am optimistic that we will have FVS in place for the Top 6/Bottom 6 Opening Phase this year.”
During the past weeks, all 12 teams in the Premier League have been busy looking to bolster their squad, and Abela believes that all clubs realise the importance of having a deep squad to be able to counter the demands of a heavy fixture schedule.
“Without a doubt, all clubs have invested in strengthening their squads,” Abela said.
“With the introduction of the Jubilee Cup, clubs now fully appreciate the need for greater squad depth. Moreover, contrary to initial doubts when we launched the new format, clubs understand that the opening phase is critical to achieving success this season.”
The Malta Premier have been quite clear on the importance of securing fans’ engagement throughout the season, and Abela said that more activities are set to be introduced in the upcoming campaign.
“We will continue last year’s successful half-time activities while introducing pre-match parties to enhance the matchday atmosphere,” Abela said.
“Together with our main sponsor, Yohealth, we will also be offering giveaways such as season tickets, match balls, and signed shirts from competing teams. We are also working on a project where supporters choose the MVP of certain matches together with sports journalists.”
Abela ended the interview by emphasising his organisation’s main goal of ensuring a sustainable financial model.
“Our primary goal remains ensuring a sustainable financial model that allows us to operate effectively,” he said.
“Sound financial planning is essential to safeguard this project’s future. We are proud to operate as a debt-free, self-financed, and profitable entity. This year, we expect an increase in commercial sponsorship revenue, which is a source of great satisfaction for us.”
