Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1542275
16 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 28 DECEMBER 2025 How podcasts and PODCASTS are having their moment. They've been around for as long as smartphones and the internet, but have shot up in popularity over the past decade, so much so that almost every- one and their mother has a pod- cast nowadays. It's a medium with little barri- er to entry that has shaken up the traditional media landscape, with Malta being no exception. In Malta, it was Jon Mallia that made the podcast format main- stream. He was dubbed by some as the Maltese Joe Rogan, using a simple production set-up to have long chats with various personalities, whether they be politicians, influencers, priests or singers. Jon's podcast is still going strong, but there are far more podcasts in the market nowa- days. Trudy Kerr offers a more women-oriented platform with The She Word, which has al- so become more popular with time. Media houses have set up their own podcasts on Spotify and Facebook, as have compa- nies and NGOs. Even the La- bour and Nationalist parties both have political podcasts in the works too, despite owning their own radio stations. But looking back at 2025, two podcasts stand out among the fold because they elicited emo- tion and commanded social media engagement. In short, they knew how to outrage the masses and keep the attention on them. Rage with a side of Bajd u Bejken We were barely two months into the new year when people on Facebook found a clip of one of the hosts on the popu- lar, dark-humour podcast Bajd u Bejken passing a joke about Twanny Aquilina, a child who was murdered in 1960. His mother, Ġiġa Camilleri, had been found guilty of murdering him, although doubts were later NICOLE MEILAK nmeilak@mediatoday.com.mt Bajd u Bejken presenters Max Vassallo (left) and PJ Xerxen in studio during one of their satirical podcasts (Photo: Bajd u Bejken/Facebook) How Hamrun brought European football to Ta' Qali FOR years Maltese football has been weighed down by familiar disappointment. National team campaigns slipped away early, clubs strug- gled to make any real mark in Europe, and alle- gations of corruption often cast a shadow over any flicker of optimism. But 2025 brought some hope. Finally, a nation obsessed with football, could watch a Maltese team play European football well beyond the preliminary stages. Ħamrun Spartans made history by becoming the first Maltese team to qualify to the league stage, formerly known as the group stage, of the UEFA Conference League. Progress to subsequent stages has been made easier by UEFA through the creation of new competitions, and reforms to their struc- tures. But this does not take away anything from Ħamrun's success. Beating teams from the Lithuanian and Latvian top flight was no easy feat. The road to success Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to interview club CEO Marcel Bonnici, who ex- plained Ħamrun's achievement was made possible through internal restructuring. He described how footballing structures in Malta have been anchored to the past for far too long. While having a rich financier, such as in Ħam- run's case, property magnate Joseph Portelli, can help pave the way to success, Bonnici ar- gued this was only a small contributor in the overall equation. "If you look at the clubs who qualified across Europe, only a handful managed to do so with the budget that we had. For me it's a source of pride. Even the clubs we played on our way. RFS's squad is valued at €10 million, Macca- bi Tel Aviv's squad at around €30 million and we kept fighting till the last minute, Ħamrun's squad value stands at around €4.75 million," he had said. Football supporters, especially the long-suf- fering ones like me who follow Manchester United, know all too well that throwing money at a problem doesn't magically fix it. Spending only makes sense when it's tied to a clear, co- herent strategy on the pitch. This, Bonnici had explained, was the culture the club hoped to in- stil. Coach Giacomo Modica's strategy focused on high-intensity attacking football. Bonnici ex- plained how the philosophy is directly inspired from Modica's time as right-hand man to leg- endary coach Zdenek Zeman. Its successful im- plementation, however, required players to be in top physical condition. Trickle-down football-nomics? But it's not just Ħamrun that will indulge in the success. When a club qualifies for a Euro- pean competition, the income it earns from UEFA can benefit the wider football ecosystem, even without considering tourism or matchday revenue. Prize money allows clubs to invest in players, facilities, and youth development, while UEFA's solidarity payments also distribute a portion of this income to all teams in the league. UEFA allocated €285 million specifically for Conference League clubs, split across equal shares, performance bonuses, and market pool funds. For qualifying to the league phase, Ħam- run earned around €3.2 million with subse- quent bonuses for victories and draws. But strong club performances in Europe can also improve a country's UEFA coefficient that reduces qualifying hurdles. A single club's European success can cre- ate a financial and structural ripple effect that strengthens the entire Maltese football ecosys- tem. Whether Ħamrun's breakthrough in Eu- rope was just a single moment of success will be seen next year but in 2025 the club certain- ly created the right foundations for long-term benefit. KARL AZZOPARDI kazzopardi@mediatoday.com.mt LOOKING BACK 2025