The 2023–24 Maltese Premier League was the 109th season of top-flight league football in Malta. The season began on 15 September 2023 and ended in April 2024. The season saw the relegation of Valletta, one of the most historic teams in Maltese football, for the first time in their history while bearing this name. The Maltese Premier League saw a 22% increase in attendance, with the Floriana versus Ħamrun Spartans match on 27 April drawing the largest crowd of 9,090 spectators.https://maltadaily.mt/premier-league-sees-22-attendance-increase-in-2023-24/
Teams The league consisted of fourteen teams; the top twelve teams from the previous season, and two teams promoted from the 2022–23 Maltese Challenge League. Ħamrun Spartans entered the season as defending champions. Sliema Wanderers and Naxxar Lions were promoted and returned to the Maltese Premier League after one and five years of absence, respectively. They replaced the 2022–23 Maltese Premier League bottom two teams, Pietà Hotspurs and Żebbuġ Rangers (both relegated after one year in the top flight).
On 13 April 2023, The Malta Football Association announced that four clubs would be relegated to the Maltese Challenge League at the end of the season, as the number of clubs would be reduced to twelve starting from the 2024–25 season. As a result, the Maltese Premier League play-off was scrapped for this season, and this was the last season to consist of fourteen teams.
Team In league since City Balzan 2011 Balzan Birkirkara 1990 Birkirkara Floriana 1986 Floriana Gudja United 2019 Gudja Gżira United 2016 Gżira Ħamrun Spartans 2016 Ħamrun Hibernians 1945 Paola Marsaxlokk 2022 Marsaxlokk Mosta 2011 Mosta Naxxar Lions 2023 Naxxar Santa Lucia 2019 Santa Luċija Sliema Wanderers 2023 Sliema Sirens 2019 St. Paul's Bay Valletta 1944 Valletta
Venues On 29 April 2024, the Malta Football Association introduced another stadium, Victor Tedesco Stadium due to the final fixture of the season that played four matches at the same time. Ta' Qali Ta' Qali Paola Hamrun Ta' Qali National Stadium Centenary Stadium Tony Bezzina Stadium Victor Tedesco Stadium Capacity: 16,997 Capacity: 3,000 Capacity: 2,968 Capacity: 1,962
Personnel and kits
Team Manager Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor (front) Shirt sponsor (back) Shirt sponsor (sleeve)Balzan Oliver SpiteriJomaMBI GroupVisit Malta (Bottom)Birkirkara Jose BorgNikeMcDonald'sInter Sport (Top)Visit Malta (Right)Floriana Mauro CamoranesiJomaHarmont & Blaine, Greens SupermarketGo & Fun (Right)Gudja United Renzo Kerr-CumboMacronHandy Man, SixSevenEightApex Group (Top)Thomas Smith Insurance Broker (Left)Gżira United Andrew CohenJomaFinanzi (Top), Recruit Giant (Bottom), Visit Malta (Bottom)Ħamrun Spartans Luciano ZauriPumaJ. PortelliMeridianbet (Bottom), Besteam audio (Bottom)Ta' Fonzu (Right), Tescoma (Left)Hibernians Branko NiševićJomaBezzinaMarsaxlokk Winston MuscatJoma1padelMr. Fitz Restaurant Marsaxlokk (Left)Mosta Joseph GrechMacronTeamsport (Bottom)Naxxar Lions George VellaJomaBrown's, sottozeroZarb Coaches (Top), Badass, McQueen, Sammut Concrete Supplies (Bottom)Welbee's (Right), Würth, Centerparc (Left)Santa Lucia Alessandro ZinnariCapelli SportMultivend, avanzaElmo (Top), Konica Minolta (Bottom) Yellow Army (Left), Levissima (Right)Sliema Wanderers Paul ZammitAdidasNMGroup, Comeon Group, XaceDaikin, Zarb Coaches (Bottom)Sirens Stephen DamatoMacronCafé del Mar Malta, Welbee'sArringo (Top), Malta National Aquarium (Bottom)Valletta Juan Cruz Gill (Caretaker)NikeInialaInter Sport (Top)Toyotomi, Da Mattia (Left), 5 Beans (Right) Additionally, referee kits are made by Macron
Managerial changes
TeamOutgoing managerManner ofdepartureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentĦamrun Spartans Branko NiševićResigned 22 April 2023Pre-season Luciano Zauri29 April 2023Sirens Winston Muscat 28 April 2023 Stephen Damato 24 May 2023Marsaxlokk Pablo DoffoEnd of contract6 May 2023 Winston Muscat14 June 2023Floriana Gianluca Atzori10 May 2023 Mauro Camoranesi5 June 2023Hibernians Silvio VellaMutual consent1 June 2023 Branko Nišević17 July 2023Santa Lucia Enzo PotenzaResigned21 June 2023 Alessandro Zinnari12 July 2023Gudja United Ludvic BartoloEnd of caretaker spell29 July 2023 Jesmond Zammit29 July 2023Valletta Thane MicallefSacked2 October 20238th Enzo Potenza7 October 2023Birkirkara Giovanni TedescoResigned26 November 202310th Brian Chetcuti (Caretaker)26 November 2023Gudja United Jesmond ZammitSacked21 December 202314th Renzo Kerr-Cumbo27 December 2023Gżira United Darren AbdillaResigned17 January 20249th Andrew Cohen18 January 2024Birkirkara Brian ChetcutiEnd of caretaker spell5 February 20247th Jose Borg5 February 2024Valletta Enzo PotenzaResign26 February 202412th Juan Cruz Gill (Caretaker)26 February 2024
League table
Results
Season statistics Scoring Top scorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 Luke MontebelloĦamrun Spartans212 Kemar ReidFloriana13 YuriMarsaxlokk4 Andrei CiolacuBirkirkara11 Uroš ĐuranovićĦamrun Spartans6 PabloNaxxar Lions107 Sunday AkinbuleMarsaxlokk98 Jurgen DegabrieleHibernians8 Luis Willis Alves FurtadoFloriana
Hat-tricks
Player For Against Result Stadium Date Luke Montebello4Ħamrun SpartanBalzan7-1 (A)Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali27 January 2024 George BlackwoodBalzanSirens4-1 (A)Centenary Stadium, Ta' Qali6 April 2024 PabloNaxxar LionsGudja United4-2 (A) Seth Paintsil4Ħamrun SpartanFloriana5-0 (A)Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali27 April 2024 Notes 4 Player scored 4 goalss
Clean sheets RankPlayerClubClean sheets1 Georgi KitanovFloriana15 Rashed Al-TumiSliema Wanderers3 Marcel ZapytowskiBirkirkara104 Akpan David UdohMosta9 Matthias DebonoNaxxar Lions6 Henry BonelloĦamrun Spartans8 Ibrahim KonéHibernians8 Danilo GolovicBalzan7 Marko DrobnjakMarsaxlokk Francisco Celio Da Paz Silva FilhoSanta Lucia
Discipline Player Most yellow cards: 11 Evans Damian Aneni (Mosta) Most red cards: 2 Ali Diakite (Birkirkara) Club Most yellow cards: 66 Sliema Wanderers Most red cards: 6 Sliema Wanderers
Monthly awards MonthManager of the MonthPlayer of the MonthManagerClubPlayerClubSeptember Mauro CamoranesiFloriana Kemar ReidFlorianaOctober George VellaNaxxar Lions Luke MontebelloHamrun SpartansNovemberNo WinnerDecember Paul ZammitSliema WanderersJanuary Luciano ZauriHamrun Spartans Luke MontebelloHamrun SpartansFebruary
References