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maltatoday SUNDAY 22 APRIL 2018 53 FOOTBALL Sports BIRKIRKARA .............. 4 HAMRUN SPARTANS .... 2 WARREN ZAMMIT THE Spartans went ahead on the 14th minute. Marco Criaco sent a through pass towards Alex Nils- son and the Swedish striker saw his shot going inside the net. Ħamrun added another on the 40th minute. Criaco fired a stun- ning shot that gave Kristijan Nau- movski no chance. Birkirkara reduced the gap five minutes later. From a free-kick, Edward Herrera sent a cross to- wards Nikola Vukanac who head- ed the ball past Jake Galea. Paul Zammit's side equalised on the 49th minute. Herrera hit a thumping shot that stunned Galea. Rolovic sent Birkirkara ahead on the 54th minute. The Montene- grin player received the ball from Waldemar Acosta and placed it inside the net. Rolovic scored again to seal Birkirkara's win five minutes from time. The twenty-four-year-old fired a low shot that went behind Galea. Following this result, Birkirkara will play in next season's Europa League unless Sliema Wanderers win the FA Trophy. Birkirkara starting line-up: Kristijan Naumovski, Cain At- tard, Nikola Vukanac, Fernando Barbosa Pereira, Kurt Zammit, Edward Herrera, Terence Agius, Mislav Andjelkovic, Ryan Sci- cluna, Waldemar Acosta, Ognjen Rolovic Ħamrun Spartans starting line-up: Jake Galea, Karl Mi- callef, Thiago Espindola de Paula, Tiago Souza de Silveira, Daniel Zerafa, Dale Camilleri, Triston Caruana, Guilherme Felipe de Castro, Marco Criaco, Lydon Mi- callef, Alex Nilsson Referee: Mario Apap Assistant Referees: Paul Apap, Peter Abela Fourth Official: Sandro Spiteri LIJA ATHLETIC ................ 2 FLORIANA ...................... 6 WARREN ZAMMIT Floriana went ahead on the 29th minute. Following a cross by Junin- ho Cabral, Sebastian Nayar headed the ball inside the net. The Greens increased their advan- tage three minutes from half-time. Cabral was brought down inside the penalty area by Jonathan Martinelli and the referee pointed towards the spot. From the eleven metres mark, Cabral converted. Nicolas Chiesa's side scored their third goal on the 54th minute. Em- erson Marcelina's low shot went be- hind Martinelli. On the 68th minute, it was Cabral who found the net for the second time to send Floriana 4-0 ahead. Goals kept coming as Mario Fonta- nella added another for Floriana on the 75th minute. Lija made a reaction and scored two goals through Erjon Beu on the 82nd and 90th minute. However, Fontanella scored again in the additional time to hand Flori- ana a 6-2 win. Lija Athletic starting line-up: Jonathan Martinelli, Predrag Babic, Dylan Agius, Aaron Sammut, Ryan Sammut, Vilfor Hysa, Abubakar Bello-Osagie, Kei Hirose, Erjon Beu, Raphael Kooh Sohna, McAllister Clinch. Floriana starting line-up: Ini Etim Akpan, Arthur Henrique Oy- ama, Enrico Pepe, Enzo Ruiz, Alex Cini, Emerson Marcelina, Sebastian Nayar, Dylan Grima, Steve Pisani, Juninho Cabral, Mario Fontanella. Referee: Philip Farrugia Assistant Referees: Luke Portelli, Dusan Petrovic Fourth Official: Stefan Pace Birkirkara seal fourth place Floriana fail to qualify for Europe Birkirkara made sure that they will finish fourth as they came from behind to beat Hamrun Spartans 4-2 Despite a dominant 6-2 win over Lija Athletic, Floriana will not play in next season's Europa League as they finished fifth Wenger to step down after two decades in charge at Arsenal ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger is to stand down at the end of the season after a reign of almost 22 years during which he redefined the Premier League club and became their most successful boss. The longest-serving current manager in English soccer, with 1228 games in charge, had faced increasing criticism from fans, however, for the Gunners' failure to sustain a serious title challenge in recent seasons. "After careful consideration and following discussions with the club, I feel it is the right time for me to step down at the end of the season," the 68-year- old Frenchman said in a state- ment issued by the club on Fri- day. "I am grateful for having had the privilege to serve the club for so many memorable years. I managed the club with full commitment and integrity," added Wenger, who urged the fans to stand behind the team and end the season on a high. Wenger signed a two-year contract extension in 2017 and had said he planned to see it out despite calls for him to be replaced. "My personal situation is not so much my worry at the mo- ment," he had told reporters on Thursday when asked about his future. "My worry is to transform a season with many disappoint- ments away from home into a success, and that's what mat- ters to me." The Gunners are a distant sixth in the league, 14 points adrift of fourth-placed North London rivals Tottenham Hot- spur with five games remain- ing. They are also in the semi- finals of the Europa League, a tournament which represents their only realistic route to the lucrative Champions League next season. The club said a successor would be appointed as soon as possible with German Thomas Tuchel, out of work since leav- ing Borussia Dortmund almost a year ago, installed as one of the early bookmakers' favour- ites. Arsenal's majority owner Stan Kroenke said it was "one of the most difficult days we have ever had in all our years in sport." "One of the main reasons we got involved with Arsenal was because of what Arsene has brought to the club on and off the pitch," he said. "His longevity and consisten- cy over such a sustained period at the highest level of the game will never be matched." Wenger was virtually un- known to many fans when he arrived from Japan's Nagoya Grampus Eight to take charge at the old Highbury ground at a time when foreign managers were still a rarity. "Arsene Who?," read one ban- ner. They soon found out who he was and what he stood for — with diets, training methods and playing style all overhauled and a new ethos installed. The chants of 'boring, boring Arsenal', heard as much from frustrated Arsenal fans as rival supporters in the early 1990s, became ironic and Wenger was hailed as a 'miracle worker' and visionary. Together, they won three Pre- mier League titles — including in 2003-04 when his 'Invin- cibles' went unbeaten for an entire season — and seven FA Cups. He took Arsenal into the Champions League for 20 years in a row. They won the league and FA cup double in 1998 and 2002. News of his decision drew a f lood of tributes and reaction from throughout the game. "He is above Herbert Chap- man and all of the guys who won trophies," former goal- keeper Bob Wilson told the BBC, adding that he was "shell- shocked" by the news. "Arsene is not only the great- est manager in Arsenal's his- tory, he has personally changed the face of the game in this country." Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho, who once de- rided Wenger as "a specialist in failure", paid tribute to his old rival and said he hoped he stayed in football. Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said he respected the de- cision and hailed Wenger as an "outstanding personality" and hugely inf luential. "He was there for so long, 22 years is a long time. Maybe in the last few months not every- body was happy with this re- sult or that... he was the domi- nating guy in the mid 1990s, 2000s." Former Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman said it was a sad day: "Can we now give him the send off/respect he deserves," he asked on Twitter. Arsenal FA Cup and League Championship Trophy Parade - 12 May 2002