Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1539671
5 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 21 SEPTEMBER 2025 INTERVIEW The following are excerpts from the interview. The full interview can be found on maltatoday.com.mt as well as our Facebook and Spotify pages. PHOTOS: JAMES BIANCHI / MALTA TODAY Historically the club has had a very strong fan base, and it has gone through turbulent periods, even getting relegated. But now you are back at the top, and you have made the historical step of Euro- pean qualification. What does it mean? When five years ago the president decided to take over the club, the choice was strategic. In my opinion Ħamrun was the natural choice because you have a strong fanbase, a passionate following despite the turbulent times of 30 years without silverware, and a team with high potential. We laid out a strategy which needed time. In the first year we won the league. I'm not saying we didn't work for it, but we weren't going to panic if we didn't win it. But the fact we won it made us realise that if we are diligent, we can bring success to the club. The years rolled by, and in five years we won four leagues. Do you think the mod- el you created, and the success you have made through it, will see other clubs adopting it? It was a road paved with success and failures. That we qualified to the league stage [of a European competition] was a result of all the different factors. To get to that place, the club has to grow. The management has to grow, the mentality has to grow, the image has to grow, the professionalism has to grow, the discipline has to grow— these are all contributors. You also have to improve on the pitch from a tactical and technical standpoint. But you cannot focus on just one aspect, you have to look at the wider project. You just cannot improve technically while ignoring the commercial aspect of the club. I believe that was the most important thing – we grew across the board. Now, how will European qualification impact the wider Maltese football ecosystem? There are two basic points I would like to get across. The first: The better the product, the more people are attracted to the project. You cannot have a mediocre product and attract the right minds and investment in the club. The second: The more money is invested, the better the outcome. Is it fair to speak about how Maltese football will improve, when it is you guys who managed to get that success? Obviously, rivalry is a crucial aspect to the game, but the same supporters who call you baqar (literal translation 'cows'; derogatory term used by Ħamrun football rivals to mock the club's big ambitions) now want to share in your success… We enjoy saying that when we raise the bar, others have no choice but to follow suit. This has already happened. In this case we were the catalysts, but it could have been others. To see that level improve is always a positive thing. The better the product is as a league, the more attractive it is, and that is a good thing. You qualified to the league stage in Europe around two years after the Malta Premier League was formed. After your quali- fication, the MPL came out saying that one of their aims has been met, and almost attributing some of your success to the league's restructuring. Did it actually make a dif- ference to your European qualification? To have an autonomous MPL, which is separate from the MFA, is a good thing and we will enjoy its benefits for years to come. Last year, it was the first time the new format was deployed, and we won the league. Now is there a link between the launch of the new format, and our qualification? Maybe, the period in which they happened. But I have to be honest; the format of the MPL had nothing to do with our qualification. I insist the MPL will leave a positive impact on the Maltese football ecosystem, but to say that we qualified because of the MPL is not correct. We qualified because we invested. Will the team's approach change to cater for the European games? We spoke about the different factors which led to our success, and a crucial factor was the choice for coach. We brought a football philosophy to the club, and someone with international experience who has learnt under ZdenĦk Zeman. With him, he has brought a football philosophy of hard work and intense training. We did this to ensure the team is in tiptop shape. […] If you play against Barcelona, you will never reach their level of technical ability, no matter how much you train. But if you train hard, you can come close to their fitness ability. The four rounds we played this season showed this. Is there a specific type of football you want to play? Under the coach we play 4-3-3 attacking football. Possession is the last priority. The philosophy is that you get to the opposing team's box with the least number of passes possible.