For Joseph Portelli, president of Ħamrun Spartans, this moment has been four years in the making.
Ever since taking over the club in 2020, his ambition was clear — to see Ħamrun qualify for European football and compete on the continental stage.
The UEFA Conference League has given clubs like Ħamrun Spartans the chance to dream.
“This is a massive moment for Maltese football after over 100 years. I hope we enjoy our journey in the league phase of the UEFA Conference League, and maybe we also encounter a big team too,” Portelli said after the match.
The creation of the UEFA Conference League in 2021 provided a much-needed opportunity for smaller nations, including Malta, to finally bridge the gap in European football.
With a new format that allowed champions and high-placed domestic clubs to test themselves in competitive fixtures, the tournament quickly became a realistic path for Maltese sides to make history.
Ħamrun Spartans were among the first Maltese clubs to feel the benefit of this new system.
In 2022, they wrote their name into the history books by becoming the first Maltese side to reach the play-off round of a European competition. The dream ended there, however, as Serbian giants Partizan Belgrade proved too strong. Still, that campaign planted the seed of belief within the Spartans.
The seasons that followed were a rollercoaster. Despite their domestic dominance, Ħamrun failed to replicate their 2022 run. A series of disappointing European results followed, including their 2024-25 campaign where they crashed out in the second qualifying round of the Conference League against Kosovo’s Ballkani. For a club that had set its sights so high, those exits were bitterly disappointing.
But rather than dampen ambitions, the setbacks pushed Ħamrun to redouble their efforts.
Ahead of this season, Portelli made bold decisions. At the helm, he brought in Giacomo Modica, long-time right-hand man to Italian coaching legend Zdenek Zeman. The Italian’s tactical pedigree injected fresh ideas and discipline into the Spartans.
Alongside the coaching change, the club reshuffled its foreign recruitment strategy, targeting players capable of lifting the squad’s level in European matches. The results were evident, with Ħamrun displaying more resilience, quality, and depth than in past editions.
Ħamrun’s qualification does not only elevate the club – it resonates across Maltese football as a whole. With their group stage entry, Malta’s UEFA coefficient has risen to 8.500, moving the country up to 41st in the rankings.
By qualifying for the group stage, Ħamrun Spartans will also receive a significant financial reward from UEFA. The injection of funds will allow the club to strengthen its infrastructure, invest further in talent, and maintain its dominance at the domestic level.
“Of course, the financial reward will help us a lot,” Portelli admitted. “It means we can build an even stronger squad for the future. But for us, European football remains the priority.”
Yet the Spartans’ president is also pragmatic. The league remains vital, he stressed, since the domestic title serves as Malta’s direct pathway into the UEFA Champions League qualifiers.
“European football is a priority and we want to perform at our best,” Portelli said. “At the same time though, the league is important because it guarantees the pass to play in the UEFA Champions League.”
Asked whether Ħamrun will dip back into the market for further reinforcements ahead of the busy European schedule, Portelli was firm. “We are not working to bring other players to the squad,” he said.
“We trust the team we have, even though the schedule will now be busier with a minimum of six European games.”
While Portelli celebrated this landmark achievement, he hinted that his ambitions do not end here.
“My ambition will now drive me towards an even bigger target,” he said, though he stopped short of revealing what that goal might be.
For now, though, Ħamrun Spartans can enjoy their long-awaited moment on the European stage.
From the disappointment of Belgrade to the ecstasy of Latvia, the Spartans’ journey under Joseph Portelli has been one of persistence.
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