Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1539671
6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 21 SEPTEMBER 2025 NEWS CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 "If you look at the clubs who qualified across Europe, only a handful managed to do so with the budget that we had," Bonnici said, adding this was a source of pride. "Even the clubs we played on our way—RFS's squad is val- ued at €10 million, Maccabi Tel Aviv's squad at around €30 mil- lion and we kept fighting till the last minute; Ħamrun's squad value stands at around €4.75 million." Hamrun will be playing their first league game in the Confer- ence League on 2 October, away to Polish side Jagiellonia. The Polish club has a squad value of almost €32 million. But Bonnici insisted Ham- run's philosophy is to never stop dreaming. He also refuted sug- gestions the team's European success is all down to the club's financial standing. Bonnici said success was also achieved through the way it has organised itself with a proper management structure. But a crucial factor, he added, was the choice for coach. "We brought a football philos- ophy to the club, and someone with international experience who has learnt under Zdeněk Zeman," Bonnici said of coach Giacomo Modica. "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 sea- son showed this," Bonnici said, praising the players for giving their all on the pitch. Hamrun will play their first home game in the Conference League on 23 October when they host Swiss team FC Laus- anne-Sport. They will then trav- el to Turkey to play against Sam- sunspor FC on 6 November. A crunch match, and one Hamrun could hope to win, will be the home match against Lin- coln Red Imps of Gibraltar on 27 November. In the 2024-2025 season, Hamrun lost on penal- ties to the Red Imps in the First Qualifying Round of the UEFA Champions League, making this year's appointment a chance to get sporting revenge. The Spartans will then host Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk on 11 December before playing their final away game against Shamrock Rovers of Ireland on 18 December. Hamrun's qualification to the league phase has already earned the club €3,170,000 from UEFA. The club could earn an addi- tional €400,000 for every game it wins at this stage and €133,000 for every drawn match. Hamrun would also earn an additional €400,000 if they place between the 1st and 8th in the league table, and €200,000 if they place between 9th and 24th. SEE INTERVIEW ON MT2 Malta champions Hamrun Spartans prepare for historic debut in league phase of UEFA Conference League Hamrun supporters await their team's first league stage game on 2 October, away to Polish side Jagiellonia