Valletta and Sliema Wanderers will be eyeing another landmark moment in their glorious history on Monday when they go head-to-head for the Jubilee Cup in the men’s final at the National Stadium (kick-off: 5.30pm).
For both clubs, the showdown holds a lot of significance as not only are one win away from landing a prestigious trophy, but more importantly, a win this afternoon would send a real statement of intent that they have what it takes to challenge for the major domestic honours this season.
For Valletta FC to reach the Jubilee Cup final is a remarkable achievement, particularly when one remembers that the Citizens have just returned to top-flight football last May.
However, the sound investment of president Claudio Grech and his administration, together with the diligent work put in by coach Thane Micallef, has put Valletta back at the very top of Maltese football.
“When one looks back from where we started as a club, it’s a huge achievement,” coach Micallef told the Times of Malta.
“Two years ago, the team was relegated and was in a bad financial situation. However, over the past few months, the club administration has worked tirelessly to put the club back on its feet and transform it into a highly competitive side once more.
“The club has continuously invested in the squad, and after we won promotion, they added further quality to put us in a position to challenge the best teams.
“I believe that we are well prepared for the final and I hope that the players turn up in the best version of themselves to secure the win that we are all craving for.”
For Valletta, this is an opportunity to bring home another one-off cup in their trophy cabinet after lifting the Centenary Cup and the 100th Anniversary Cup during the past two decades.
Valletta’s run in the competition has been epitomised by the resilience shown by their players.
In the quarter-finals, they showed remarkable spirit to bounce back from their league upset to Ħamrun Spartans a week before and go on and knock out the Malta champions with a clinical display.
Four days later, Valletta had to survive the second-half dismissal of Neil Micallef to overcome the challenge of Tarxien Rainbows and reach the final.
“This run has epitomised the core values of our club,” Micallef said.
“Our players have shown great resilience and their never-say-die attitude to go through two difficult ties.
“Against Ħamrun Spartans, the players produced a very positive performance against the champions, but this time the episodes of our match were in our favour.
“On the other hand, the team found itself with ten men against Tarxien Rainbows, but the real character of the players came to the fore, and we managed to overturn a difficult situation by netting two late goals to progress to the final.
“These two matches have shown the strength of our group and we need more of the same if we are to come out victorious against Sliema Wanderers.
“Winning Cup finals is what every player dreams of, and I expect the team to give its utmost to try and get the win that will put us into the club’s history books.”
Glorious history
Sliema Wanderers will be keen to add more lustre to their more illustrious history with victory in the Jubilee Cup final.
Ironically, Sliema have experienced similar circumstances to Valletta as four years ago, the Blues also suffered relegation to the Challenge League and since then have been going through a rebuilding process to re-establish themselves among the country’s best.
“Four years ago, we were relegated, and the club started a rebuilding process that has taken us to achieve some excellent results,” Wanderers coach Paul Zammit said.
“During this time, we secured a top-three finish in the Premier League, won the FA Trophy, qualified for Europe, and the most satisfying thing for us is that our club remained very competitive and we are still hungry to win more titles.
“The Jubilee Cup allowed us to provide more playing time to homegrown talent, and we made the best use of it as we boast a very strong crop of Maltese players who, in the summer, were aided by the arrival of talented foreign players to make the squad even stronger.
“But this final is an opportunity to show that we are capable of bringing honours to the club and that is the biggest test our players will face on Monday.”
Zammit admitted that his team is set for a very tough challenge against a team he described full of talent all over the pitch.
“We are meeting a Valletta FC side, who in my opinion, have been very consistent this season,” Zammit said.
“They have top-quality players in all areas of the pitch. It will be a real test for us not only from a technical level but also from a mental point of view. Now it’s time to show that we can deliver trophies for our club.
“This is the moment to show that we are capable of reaching the objectives the club has set. Winning the Jubilee Cup is important not just because we are putting our hands on silverware, but more importantly, to prove that we can take the club to where it really belongs – the top of Maltese football.”
