Sliema Wanderers Football Club, nicknamed "tax-Xelin" (of the shilling), is a professional Maltese football club. It is based in the seaside town of Sliema. It currently plays in the Maltese Premier League.

History The club was founded in 1909. The club competed in the first ever Maltese Premier League season in 1909–10 and finished in second position to Floriana after the five-game season came to an end.

Ten years down the line, Sliema Wanderers finally made their mark in Maltese football by winning the Maltese Premier League title in the 1919–20 season. Since then the team have gone on to win the title 26 times, a record for Malta; the last three being in 2002–03, 2003–04 and 2004–05.

Sliema Wanderers also hold the record for the most FA Trophy wins, with their first coming in 1935, when they overpowered Floriana with a 4–0 victory. The club have gone on to win this particular honour 20 times, most recently in 2000, 2004 and in 2009; the last title was won against Valletta 7–6 on penalties after the match finished 3–3 following extra time.

2000s The 2000s saw Sliema Wanderers becoming a dominant club in the Maltese scene again.

Summer 2003 had President Robert Arrigo signing Maltese internationals Jamie Pace, Djibril Sylla and Daniel Bogdanovic.

Season 2004-05 saw the Wanderers, under the presidency of Robert Arrigo, win their 26th Maltese Premier League title. Part of this success was Michael Mifsud's return to his boyhood club after being leaving 1.FC Kaiserslautern on a free.

Season 2005-06 started with a UEFA Champions League qualifier against Sheriff Tiraspol. Much to Arrigo's chagrin, lost Michael Mifsud to Lillestrøm SK, in a move made possible by Nikki Dimech who acted as his representative, albeit being a lengthy transfer saga that was complicated by International Transfer Clearance issues and compensation fees.

2010s Sliema Wanderers clinched a Maltese FA Trophy in season 2015-16.

Keith Perry was confirmed as president in the beginning of season 2016-17 despite rumours. John Buttigieg was appointed as Head Coach.

2020s The club endured a rough start to the 2020s. The club started off with a bang, signing former Arsenal F.C. midfielder Denílson. Further players were signed and Keith Perry was appointed chairman of the club, and Jeffrey Farrugia took over as president. A sponsorship deal was struck with Catco Group, an oil investment company based in China and Tunisia. Catco Group however, failed to pay its dues, citing technical reasons. This gave way to unrest within the club, with captain Mark Scerri and head coach Andrea Pisanu making public statements regarding the financial situation of the club, proceeding with resignations such as Perry and team manager Alex Muscat. Players went unpaid for months, with another sponsor, Sixt, finally paying the players directly just before Christmas. Eventually a new sponsor was brought on board. Farrugia was later ousted as Keith Perry returned in the President's seat in preparation for the upcoming season.

Season 2021-22 was disastrous from a technical point of view. Despite signing two new players in Djibouti international Warsama Hassan and Japanese Yuki Uchida, up until 19 November 2021, the club had not yet won a match, and sat at the bottom of the Maltese Premier League. The first win came on 20 November, stunning Valletta with a 2–1 result. The dying minutes of the match however, proved fatal, as Warsama Hassan was introduced at 90 minutes. However, the player had just returned from Egypt, where he had featured for his Djibouti national football team in a match against Algeria. Warsama was supposed to be in quarantine, having returned from a Dark Red listed country. Valletta lodged a formal complaint, which was upheld by the Malta Football Association, awarding a 3–0 win to Valletta. Sliema Wanderers' next match was against Birkirkara F.C., resulting in a further loss. On 10 April 2022 Sliema Wanderers lost against Valletta with a 2–1 result, and were relegated to Maltese Challenge League after thirty-seven years in the top flight.

In the 2026-27 Season Sliema signed Maltese internationas Henry Bonello, Teddy Teuma, and Satariano.Sliema played an international friendly against 2-1 loss to Valletta F.C. . They participated in a pre-season friendly tournament held in Mosta. Their group (B) featured Marsaxlokk which they beat, won 3-2 against 4 times Malta Premier League winners Birkirkara F.C. and later beat 3-1 Żabbar St. Patrick F.C. and then went on to win the whole tournament with one goal by Limbombe in the final played against newly promoted Birzebbuga St. Peter's F.C..

Rivaries Sliema has a few rivals. Floriana F.C. and Sliema are eternal rivals since the league was founded they competed for the cup drawing huge attendances. The rivalry is called the Old Firm. The last few encounters mostly went Florianas side the last one them having won 1-0. The FA Final 2024 was between these two teams. The game saw two red cards and many yellows and fouls. After a goalless draw Sliema won 4-2 on penalties having Rashid al Tumi save 2 penalties.

In the old days Sliema were also rivals with St. Georges F.C. as they too competed for the league. But this rivalry has died over time as the haven't played for a long time about 20 years. St. George now plays in the BOV Amuture league II.

A more recent rivalry is the Sliema-Gżira United F.C. (Sliema won the most recent one 2-1) and Melita F.C. who now plays in the Challenge League (Sliema won the most recent won 4-2). These two cities (Melita represents St. Julians) border Sliema and compete for other things like tourism and progress.

Futsal

Sliema Wanderers also had a futsal team, which participated in Malta's top futsal league until 2024. The 2023–24 season was the last edition of the Enemed Futsal League in which Sliema Wanderers Futsal participated, finishing at 9th place and thus qualified for the Enemed Challenger League.

Previously, Sliema had limited success in the domestic futsal competitions, finishing eighth in the 2010–11 season, fifth in 2011–12, and seventh in 2012–13 - out of ten teams. In the 2015–16 season, when the championship featured 14 teams, Sliema placed ninth.

Sliema Wanderers Bilbao Futsal reached the second round of the national cup in 2010–11 and 2012–13.

Youth Futsal League

On 13 February, Sliema Wanderers Youth Futsal won the Youth Futsal League after defeating Mosta 6–2 in the final played at the National Sport School in Pembroke, with Giorgio Comes scoring five goals for the winners.

Players

Current squad As of 15 August 2026.

Out on loan

European record Season Competition Round Country Club Home Away Aggregate1963–64UEFA Cup Winners' CupPreliminary RoundBorough United0–00–20–21964–65European CupPreliminary RoundDinamo București0–20–50–71965–66European CupPreliminary RoundPanathinaikos1–01–42–41966–67European CupPreliminary RoundCSKA Sofia1–20–41–61968–69UEFA Cup Winners' Cup1. RoundUS Rumelange1–01–22–2(a)2. RoundRanders Freja0–20–60–81969–70UEFA Cup Winners' Cup1. RoundIFK Norrköping1–01–52–51970–71Inter-Cities Fairs Cup1. RoundAkademisk BK2–30–72–101971–72European Cup1. RoundÍA Akranes0–04–04–02. RoundCeltic1–20–51–71972–73European Cup1. RoundGórnik Zabrze0–50–50–101973–74UEFA Cup1. RoundLokomotiv Plovdiv0–20–10–31974–75UEFA Cup Winners' Cup1. RoundLahti2–01–43–41975–76UEFA Cup1. RoundSporting CP1–21–32–51976–77European Cup1. RoundTPS Turku2–10–12–2(a)1977–78UEFA Cup1. RoundEintracht Frankfurt0–00–50–51979–80UEFA Cup Winners' Cup1. RoundBoavista2–10–82–91980–81UEFA Cup1. RoundBarcelona0–20–10–31981–82UEFA Cup1. RoundAris Thessaloniki2–40–42–81982–83UEFA Cup Winners' Cup1. RoundSwansea City0–50–120–171987–88UEFA Cup Winners' Cup1. RoundVllaznia0–40–20–61988–89UEFA Cup1. RoundVictoria București0–21–61–81989–90European Cup1. RoundKF Tirana1–00–51–51990–91UEFA Cup Winners' Cup1. RoundDukla Prague1–20–21–41993–94UEFA Cup Winners' CupQualifying RoundDegerfors1–30–31–61995–96UEFA CupPreliminary RoundAC Omonia1–20–31–51996–97UEFA CupPreliminary RoundMargveti Zestaponi1–33–04–3Qualifying RoundOdense BK0–21–71–91998UEFA Intertoto Cup1. RoundDiósgyőr2–30–22–51999–00UEFA Cup1. Qualifying RoundFC Zürich0–30–10–42000–01UEFA Cup1. Qualifying RoundFK Partizan2–11–43–52001–02UEFA Cup1. Qualifying RoundMatador Púchov2–10–32–42002–03UEFA Cup1. Qualifying RoundPolonia Warsaw1–30–21–52003–04UEFA Champions League1. Qualifying RoundSkonto Riga2–01–33–3(a)2. Qualifying RoundCopenhagen0–61–41–102004–05UEFA Champions League1. Qualifying RoundFBK Kaunas0–21–41–62005–06UEFA Champions League1. Qualifying RoundSheriff Tiraspol1–40–21–62006–07UEFA Cup1. Qualifying RoundRapid București0–10–50–62007–08UEFA Cup1. Qualifying RoundLitex Lovech0–30–40–72009–10UEFA Europa League2. Qualifying RoundMaccabi Netanya0–00–30–32010–11UEFA Europa League1. Qualifying RoundŠibenik0–30–00–32013–14UEFA Europa League1. Qualifying RoundKhazar Lankaran1–10–11–22014–15UEFA Europa League1. Qualifying RoundFerencváros1–11–22–32024–25UEFA Conference League2. Qualifying Round Noah 0−00−70−7

Historical list of coaches

Paul Zammit was sacked after a loss to Swieqi United 2-1 in the Malta FA Cup round of 32 and was replaced by Argentian coach Pablo Doffo, the latter still active as of July 2026.

Joe A. Griffiths Salvinu Schembri (1963–1964) János Bédl (1 July 1964 – 30 June 1966) Victor Scerri (1968–1978) Alfred "Freddie" Cardona (1978–1980) Edward Aquilina (1979–1983) Robbie Buttigieg (1981–1982) Tony Formosa (1982–1986) Lawrence Borg (1987–1991) Guentcho Dobrev (1992–1993) Marcel Scucluna (1993) Martin Gregory (1994) Andrew Weavill (1994–1995) John Calleja and Mark Miller (1995–1996) Augustine Eguavoen (July 1999 – October 1999) Martin Gregory (1999–2000) Jeff Wood (2001–2002) Lawrence Borg (2001–2002) Edward Aquilina (2002–2006) Ray Farrugia (2006–2007) Stephen Azzopardi (1 November 2007 – 30 May 2010) Mark Marlow (1 July 2010 – 30 June 2011) Danilo Dončić (3 February 2011 – 27 May 2012) Clive Mizzi (27 May 2012 – 7 August 2012) Alfonso Greco (1 July 2012 – October 2014) Stephen Azzopardi (October 2014 – December 2015) Alfonso Greco (1 January 2016 – May 2016) John Buttigieg (June 2016 – 2019) Stefano Maccoppi (2019) Alfonso Greco (July 2019 – February 2020) Andrea Pisanu (2020-2021) Noel Turner (2022) Paul Zammit (2022-2026) Pablo Doffo (2026-)

Honours

shared record

CompetitionTitlesSeasonsMaltese Premier League 261919–20, 1922–23, 1923–24, 1925–26, 1929–30, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1935–36, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1939–40, 1948–49, 1953–54, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1975–76, 1988–89, 1995–96, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05Maltese FA Trophy221934–35, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1939–40, 1945–46, 1947–48, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1955–56, 1958–59, 1962–63, 1964–65, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1973–74, 1978–79, 1989–90, 1999–2000, 2003–04, 2008–09, 2015–16, 2023–24Maltese Challenge League21983–84, 2022–23Maltese Super Cup31996, 2000, 2009Cassar Cup111923–24, 1924–25, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1945–46, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1959–60, 1966–67Scicluna Cup101949–50, 1950–51, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1965–66Euro Cup Malta61982, 1987, 1990, 2004, 2005, 2010Independence Cup51964–65, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1973–74, 1981–82Cousis Shield41917–18, 1919–20, 1923–24, 1925–26MFA League Cup41965–66, 1969–70, 1978–79, 1984–85Christmas Cup31966–67, 1967–68, 1970–71Schembri Shield31955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58Super 5 Cup31990–91, 2001–02, 2003–04Löwenbräu Cup31999, 2001, 2002Christmas Tourney Cup21936–37, 1948–49Testaferrata Cup21964–65, 1974–75Sons of Malta Cup21972–73, 1979–80Atkins Cup11922–23Empire Sports Ground Cup11923–24MFA Cup11931–32MPFA Shield11954–55Summer Cup12024Evolution Gaming Summer Cup12016Summer Cup (Mosta Tour) (Sir Gammari Muscat Cup)22004, 2026

Statistics

Domestic Post-WWII season-by-season performance of the club: