The 2024–25 Maltese Premier League was the 110th season of top-flight league football in Malta. The season began on 16 August 2024 and ended on 10 May 2025.
Teams The league consisted of twelve teams; the top ten teams from the previous season, and two teams promoted from the 2023–24 Maltese Challenge League. Ħamrun Spartans entered the season as defending champions for two consecutive seasons. Melita was promoted and returned to the Maltese Premier League after eleven years of absence. And Żabbar St. Patrick was promoted and returned to the Maltese Premier League after twenty years of absence. They replaced Gudja United, Santa Lucia and Sirens who were all relegated after five years in the top flight, and Valletta after seventy-nine years in the topflight.
Team In league since City Balzan 2011 Balzan Birkirkara 1990 Birkirkara Floriana 1986 Floriana Gżira United 2016 Gżira Ħamrun Spartans 2016 Ħamrun Hibernians 1945 Paola Marsaxlokk 2022 Marsaxlokk Melita 2024 San Ġiljan Mosta 2011 Mosta Naxxar Lions 2023 Naxxar Sliema Wanderers 2023 Sliema Żabbar St. Patrick 2024 Zabbar
Venues The matches will be played mainly at the Ta' Qali National Stadium and the Tony Bezzina Stadium. However, the Centenary Stadium and the Victor Tedesco Stadium will be used as well. One match-day from the Closing Round between 28 March and 31 March will be played at the Gozo Stadium thanks to the support of the Ministry for Gozo. Ta' Qali Ta' Qali Paola Hamrun Xewkija Ta' Qali National Stadium Centenary Stadium Tony Bezzina Stadium Victor Tedesco Stadium Gozo Stadium Capacity: 16,997 Capacity: 3,000 Capacity: 2,968 Capacity: 1,962 Capacity: 1,644
Personnel and kits
Team Manager Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor (front) Shirt sponsor (back) Shirt sponsor (sleeve)Balzan Dave RogersJomaMBI GroupVisit Malta (Bottom)Birkirkara Stefano De AngelisNikeMcDonald'sInter Sport (Bottom)Floriana Darren AbdillaJomaHarmont & Blaine, Greens SupermarketGo & Fun (Right)Gżira United Giovanni TedescoJomaMiracles Food (Left)Ħamrun Spartans Alessandro ZinnariPumaJP (Home Kit), Mercury (Away Kit)Meridianbet, Besteam audio, Visit Malta (Bottom)Ta' Fonzu (Right), Tescoma (Left)Hibernians Branko NiševićJomaBezzinaMarsaxlokk Enzo PotenzaJoma1padelMr. Fitz Restaurant Marsaxlokk (Left)Melita Clive MizziHummelAtlas InsuranceBurger King (Top).Browns, Eurosport (Bottom)I nouv (Right), VIBE (Left)Mosta Joseph GrechMacronSimply CleanHighbet (Top), Teamsport (Bottom)Naxxar Lions George VellaJomaVC Service StationZarb Coaches, Haier Air Conditioner (Top), McQueen, Sammut Concrete Supplies (Bottom)Fastdrop (Right), Hi Koki, Würth, Falcotra (Left)Sliema Wanderers Paul ZammitAdidasNMGroup, Inter WetterVisit Malta (Top), Thomas Smith, Zarb Coaches (Bottom)Fonicom (Left), Domnic Sciberras Roof Repair (Right)Żabbar St. Patrick Aniello ParisiErreàThe ShorelineDL Group (Top), Kristal (Bottom) Additionally, referee kits are made by Macron
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner ofdepartureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentŻabbar St. Patrick Emilio Cornago San PedroResigned17 April 2024Pre-season João Janeiro16 May 2024 Balzan Oliver Spiteri4 May 2024 Dave Rogers3 June 2024 Ħamrun Spartans Luciano Zauri 13 May 2024 Alessandro Zinnari17 May 2024 Birkirkara Jose Borg End of Contract13 May 2024 Stefano De Angelis7 June 2024 Floriana Mauro Camoranesi Mutual Consent 15 May 2024 Darren Abdilla 21 May 2024 Marsaxlokk Winston Muscat Sacked 24 September 202412th Enzo Potenza 24 September 2024Żabbar St. Patrick João Janeiro Mutual Consent4 October 202412th Aniello Parisi10 October 2024Gżira United Andrew Cohen Resign9 November 20247th Giovanni Tedesco14 November 2024
Format The new league format, which will come into being from the 2024–25 season, the Maltese Premier League will be made up of 12 teams and be split into an Opening Round and Closing Round in a way that is similar to domestic footballing systems used in South America. The Opening Round will see each of the 12 teams play each other once before the league is then split between a Top 6 and a Bottom 6, allowing for the teams in each of those splits to play each other another time. Once the ranking is set, each team will go back down to 0 points and start from scratch in the Closing Round, where the same process will be repeated.
The league champions and the teams for UEFA competitions are determined as follow: If both the Opening Round and the Closing Round are won by the same team: The winners of the Opening and the Closing Rounds are declared the league champions and qualify for the UEFA Champions League; Second placed teams in the Opening Round and the Closing Round qualify for the UEFA Conference League; If the same team finishes second in both the Opening and the Closing Rounds, a playoff match between third placed teams in the Opening Round and the Closing Round is played for the remaining spot in the UEFA Conference League; If the champions of the Opening Round are placed second in the Closing Round, and the champions of the Closing Round are placed second in the Opening Round: A playoff match between the champions of the Opening and the Closing Round is played to determine the league champions; A playoff match between third placed teams in the Opening Round and the Closing Round is played for the remaining spot in the UEFA Conference League; Otherwise, a Final Four tournament between winners and runners-up of the Opening and the Closing Rounds is played (if the same team finishes second in both the Opening and the Closing Rounds, the third placed team with the best aggregate points is included in the Final Four tournament), with the teams seeded based on the aggregate points
Opening Round First phase League table
Results
Second phase Top Six
Play-Out
Closing Round First phase League table
Results
Second phase Top Six
Play-Out
Aggregate table League table
Play-off Championship Since the Opening Round Top 2 and the Closing Round Top 2 are four different teams, there would be a play-off between the top two teams from the Opening Round, Floriana and Birkirkara, and the Closing Round, Sliema Wanderers and Ħamrun Spartans.
Bracket
Semi-finals
Third place play-off
Final
Relegation play-off Since the Opening Round and the Closing Round have three different teams. Balzan finish Bottom two in the Opening Round and the Closing Round therefore immediately relegated. However, Naxxar Lions and Melita had to play a decision game to determine the second-relegated team.
Season statistics Scoring Top scorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 Maxuell Samurai MaiaBirkirkara92 Franklin SasereFloriana73 Andre Carlos Penha Da CostaMelita64 Udoyen AkpanBalzan5 Alex (Lecao) Da Paixao AlvesGżira United Gabriel Mentz BohreGżira United Luke MontebelloĦamrun Spartans Jurgen DegabrieleHibernians Alex De Aguiar GomesMarsaxlokk
Hat-tricks
Player For Against Result Stadium Date Maxuell Samurai MaiaBirkirkaraBalzan3–3 (A)Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali16 August 2024
See also 2024–25 Maltese Challenge League 2024–25 Maltese National Amateur League 2024–25 Maltese National Amateur League II 2024–25 Maltese FA Trophy
References