Coach Paul Zammit feels a responsibility to ensure the team delivers
Sliema Wanderers president Keith Perry described the current Blues squad as the best he has ever had at the club and said that he expects the Premier League club to challenge for every domestic honour in the 2025-26 season.
The Wanderers supremo made these comments during the presentation of the squad for the upcoming campaign at the headquarters of the club’s new main sponsors, Interwetten.
The Blues are coming from a tough season in the Malta Premier League, as despite managing to finish third in the Opening Round and placing first in the Closing Round, the team’s hopes of winning the title were ended by an extra-time defeat to Birkirkara in the Top Four semi-finals before failing to book a place in European football.
Fast forward two months, and the Blues’ top hierarchy, spearheaded by president Perry, have been working hard alongside first-team coach Paul Zammit to bolster their squad and, in the past weeks, brought in some significant signings.
These include Malta international players Rashed Al Tumi and Luke Montebello, Croatian midfielder Roko Prsa, and Brazilian winger Fernandinho, to name a few.
“We are entering into a particular season as it’s the fifth of this administration,” Perry told the media.
“Despite seeing a lot of positives, last season ended with a major disappointment as the club failed to win any of the major domestic competitions and failed to qualify for European football.
“Just after the season ended, I sat down with the club’s vice-president and the general secretary to define the way forward. We had two choices, either scale down our expenses due to the lack of funds coming from participation in Europe, or make sacrifices and spend big to make the team much stronger.
“We all agreed that there was only one way for us – to win every match and not only qualify for European football but try and win every domestic competition available.
“This is our main target and our goal is a clear one – to make sure nobody finishes above us next season.”
Perry said that this philosophy has spurred the club to go for only the best players in the transfer market.
“If you are challenging for the honours, you need the best players in the market and that is what we have done,” Perry said.
“We identified our targets and acted quickly; in fact, after the first 20 days of the close season, we had all the squad ready for the new campaign and hopefully will provide us with a lot of satisfaction next season.”
On his part, coach Paul Zammit shared the same sentiments expressed by president Perry on last year’s disappointments and added that had he not found the backing of the club’s top hierarchy, he wouldn’t be too sure that he would have continued in his role this season.
“The way the season ended last season was tough to fathom,” Zammit said.
“All the good work we did throughout the season evaporated in the last five seconds of the Top Four semi-final against Birkirkara when we conceded the second goal.
“One has to remember that our squad showed a lot of consistency throughout a long and demanding campaign, which saw us finishing third in the Opening Round and then recovering from a tough spell in December to go on and place first in the Closing Round.
“So, seeing our title hopes finish in that manner against Birkirkara and eventually finish out of Europe, it was difficult to accept for me. However, the president and the vice-president gave me a lot of support, and without their backing, I don’t know if I would be here today.”
Zammit said that he was proud of the efforts of the players during the pre-season and is ready for what he believes will be a very challenging season.
“All our signings were targeted by the club so that we increase our technical quality vis-à-vis other clubs,” Zammit said.
“I have no doubts that all the clubs have learnt a lot from last season and have bolstered their squad so that they are ready to last the distance and challenge in a difficult championship like the one we are playing.
“I don’t think that there are big teams or small teams anymore. I believe all the clubs have strengthened their technical structure, and we will witness a very difficult season.
“I am happy with the work ethic and the attitude of the players, and hopefully they will be ready not only in the good times, but more importantly in difficult times where the character of the team has to come to the fore.”
